An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Wahnsinn

by Friedrich Kluge

Wahnsinn, m., ‘frenzy, madness, delirium.’ It has properly no connection whatever with the preceding word; it first occurs in ModHG., and is an imitation of the earlier Wahnwitz, m., ‘delirium,’ which is based on MidHG. wănwitzec, wănwitze, OHG. wănawizzi, adj., ‘unintelligible, void of understanding.’ Wahnwitz is the sole relic of an old method of forming compounds with wăna-, ‘wanting,’ which is especially preserved in Scand.; comp. also OHG. wanaheil, ‘sickly,’ lit. perhaps ‘deficient in health’; thus too OHG. wanawizzi, ‘deficient in sense.’ Goth. wans, ‘deficient, lacking,’ OIc. vanr, ‘lacking,’ is an old partic. with the suffix ana, from the Aryan root ū̆, ‘to be empty,’ from which öde is derived; comp. the Zend root û, ‘to want,’ Sans. ûna, ‘wanting,’ and OHG. wanôn, ‘to diminish.’