An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/wichern

by Friedrich Kluge

wichern, verb, ‘to neigh, shout noisily,’ an intensive form of the equivalent Middle High German wihen (wihenen, wihelen), Old High German wihôn for *wĭjôn, *hwĭjôn; formed from the same root as Middle High German weijen, Old High German weiôn (hweiôn), ‘to neigh’ (English dialectic to wicker). With the onomatopoetic root hwī̆ are connected, though with a different evolution of meaning, Anglo-Saxon hwînan, English to whine, Old Icelandic hvîna, ‘to rustle, drink (of beasts).’