An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Bein

by Friedrich Kluge

Bein, n., ‘bone, leg,’ from MidHG. bein, OHG. bein, n.; comp. OLG. bén, AS. bân, E. bone; ModHG. reserves the earlier meaning ‘bone’ still existing in UpG. in the words Beinhaus, Elfenbein, Fischbein, Falzbein, Gebein; the later signification, ‘lower part of the thigh,’ is recorded even in OHG., MidHG., and OIc. The OIc. beinn, adj., ‘straight,’ favours the supposition that originally at least the straight thigh-bones were termed Beine (bones). Goth. *bain, n., is by chance not recorded. A primit. Teut. word with the primary meaning ‘bone,’ which cannot, however, be traced farther back (Lat. os, Gr. ὀστέον, Sans. asthi, asthan, to which an Aryan osth-, ‘bone,’ would correspond, are not represented, on the other hand, in the Teut. group). Comp. further Eisbein.