An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Wasen

by Friedrich Kluge

Wasen, m., ‘sod, turf, grass,’ from MidHG. wase, OHG. waso, m., ‘sward, damp soil or mound’; also OHG. wasal, n., ‘damp mound.’ The word is identical with Rasen, just as sprechen with E. to speak; comp. AS. węččęan, wręččęan, ‘to awake,’ and AS. wrîxl with Wechsel. Hence there existed Aryan roots with and without r; we must therefore regard wraso, waso, as the Teut. base; for the area of diffusion see Rasen. From OHG. is derived Fr. gazon, ‘sward.’