An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Vesper

by Friedrich Kluge

Vesper, feminine, ‘vespers, evening,’ from the equivalent Middle High German vësper, Old High German vëspera, feminine, which was adopted contemporaneously with monastic institutions (compare Mette and None), from Latin vespera (whence also Italian vespro, French vêpre). The primitive kinship of the Latin with the Middle High German and Old High German word is inconceivable, because the correspondence of Latin v with Old High German v (f) is found only in Old High German loan-words (see Vogt and Käfig).