An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Mund

by Friedrich Kluge

Mund (1.), m., ‘mouth,’ from MidHG. munt, OHG. mund, m., ‘mouth, outlet,’ OSax. mûð, m., Du. mond, ‘mouth,’ AS. mûð, m., E. mouth, OIc. munnr, muðr, Goth. munþs, m., ‘mouth.’ The common Teut. word munþa-z, m., may be based on pre-Teut. mńto-s and connected with Lat. mentum, ‘chin’ (of men and beasts). In the non-Teut. languages also evidence of the kinship of Mund and Maul may be found, since the latter is an old *mû-lo-, while the former may represent *mu-nþo (with a partic. suffix, see Zahn). Comp. Sans. mú-kha, ‘mouth.’

Mund (2.), f., ‘protection,’ from MidHG. and OHG. munt, f., ‘protection, hand’; comp. AS. mund, ‘hand, protection,’ OIc. mund, f., ‘hand’; the Du. term still exists in mond-baar with the variant momber, ‘guardian,’ OSax. mundboro, AS. mundbora, OHG. muntboro, MidHG. muntbor, m., ‘protector, tutor’; comp. also Vormund and Mündel. Mund is certainly not connected with Lat. mûnire (with regard to û from Aryan ai, comp. moenia), but is probably derived from a root cognate with that of Lat. manus, ‘hand.’