An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Wein

by Friedrich Kluge

Wein, masculine, ‘wine,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German wîn, masculine; corresponding to Old Saxon wîn, masculine and neuter, Dutch wijn, masculine, Anglo-Saxon wîn, English wine, and the equivalent Gothic wein, neuter. There is no phonological evidence to show that the word was borrowed. The assumption that it was adopted from Latin vînum (equivalent to Gothic wein, neuter), or rather from Low Latin vînus, masculine (equivalent to Old High German wîn, masculine), is probable from the accounts of ancient writers. The period of adoption was perhaps the first century B.C., hence the early diffusion among the Old Teutonic dialects. An earlier connection of the Teutonic with the Latin word is improbable (Latin v equivalent to Teutonic w in old loanwords; compare Pfau, Weiher, Weiler, with Vers and Brief). With regard to the Southern culture of the vine, compare the following words borrowed from Latin — Kelter (also Presse), Kelch, Lauer, Spund, Most, Torkel, Trichter, and Winzer. Note, too, Swiss wümmen, Old High German windemôn (older *wintimmôd), equivalent to Latin vindêmiare; Swiss Wümmet, from Old High German windemôd, *wintimmôd, equivalent to Latin vindêmiae (whence also the equivalent Old Irish fínime, ‘vintage,’ also fín, ‘wine’).