An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/gedunsen

by Friedrich Kluge

gedunsen, adjective, ‘bloated, puffed up,’ participle of a lost strong verb which is retained in Modern High German dialects (Hessian dinsen, ‘to draw ‘); compare Middle High German dinsen, ‘to draw, tear, extend,’ Old High German dinsan; also Gothic *þinsan, atþinsan, ‘to draw.’ The Teutonic root þens, pre-Teutonic tens, corresponds to the Sanscrit root tans, ‘to draw,’ Lithuanian tęsti, ‘to draw, stretch.’ The root tens seems an extension of the root ten appearing in dehnen.