An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/wecken

by Friedrich Kluge

wecken, verb, ‘to wake, awake,’ from the equivalent Middle High German węcken, Old High German węcchen (from *wakjan), strong verb; corresponding to Gothic wakjan (uswakjan), Old Icelandic vekja, Anglo-Saxon węččęan, Dutch wekken, Old Saxon wękkian, ‘to awake.’ The common Teutonic wakjan has the form and meaning of an old causative, but presupposes a Teutonic *wëkan, which does not occur (the apparently primary Gothic wakan, strong verb, was originally weak). Sanscrit too has only the causative vâjáy, ‘to stir, incite,’ of the corresponding root; this meaning throws light on the Teutonic cognates; Latin vigil, ‘awake,’ and vegêre, ‘to be lively, excite,’ are also probably allied. The lately formed adjective Modern High German wach shows that from the primitively causative wogéy (Teutonic wakj-) numerous cognates might be gradually developed.