An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Sinn

by Friedrich Kluge

Sinn, m., ‘sense, meaning, import,’ from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. sin (nn), m.; comp. OFris. sin. It cannot be borrowed from Lat. sensus, since a MidHG. and ModHG. str. vb. sinnen co-exists with the subst. The corresponding OHG. vb., sinnan signifies only ‘to travel, strive, go’; which certainly suggests that MidHG. and ModHG. sinnen derived its meaning from OHG. sin, ‘sensus.’ The relation of OHG. sin, ‘senses,’ to sinnan, ‘to set out, go in any direction,’ may be inferred from its early history. The root of OHG. sinnan is the same as that of Teut. sinþo-, ‘way, journey’ (comp. Gesinde), sinnan being based on a pre-historic sentno-. In Lat. sentire, ‘to feel,’ the Aryan root sent (comp. Ir. sét, ‘way’) has an abstract meaning (see sehen), which is also shared by OHG. sinno-. From the OHG. word the equiv. Rom. cognate Ital. senno is derived.