An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/emsig

by Friedrich Kluge

emsig, adjective, ‘busy, active, assiduous, industrious,’ from Middle High German ęmȥec, ęmȥic, Old High German ęmaȥȥig, ęmiȥȥig (also with tz) ‘constant, persistent, continuous’; Suabian and Alemannian have fleißig, instead of the non-existent emsig. A derivative by means of the suffix -ig from Old High German ęmiȥ, whence Middle High German ęmeȥliche. Its connection with Muße is questionable, since ă- as an accented prefix is not to be found. Anglo-Saxon œ̂metig, emtig, ‘free, empty,’ English empty, is not allied. With greater probability, the West Teutonic term for ‘ant’ (see Ameise) is related to emsig.