An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Wurzel

by Friedrich Kluge

Wurzel, feminine, ‘root,’ from the equivalent Middle High German wurzel, Old High German wurzala, feminine; corresponding to Dutch wortel. The final l is not, as in Eichel, a diminutive suffix; Old High German wurzala is rather, according to the evidence of the equivalent Anglo-Saxon wyrtwalu, a compound, properly wurz-walu. In Old High German the medial w was lost, as in Bürger (Old High German burgârâ), equivalent to Anglo-Saxon burgware (compare further Old High German eihhorn with âcweorn). Thus too Morchel, Old High German morhala, represents *morh-walu, Modern High German Geisel, Old High German geisala, represents *geis-walu. The second component is Gothic walus, ‘staff,’ Anglo-Saxon walu, ‘weal, knot’; hence Anglo-Saxon wyrtwalu and Old High German wurzala meant literally ‘herb stick’ (from Wurz).