An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Wechsel

by Friedrich Kluge

Wechsel, m., ‘change, vicissitude,’ from MidHG. wëhsel, OHG. wëhsal, m., ‘change, barter, exchange, trade’; corresponding to OSax. wëhsal, ‘trade, money,’ Du. wissel. A specifically Ger. derivative with the suffix -sla, from the same root as Lat. vī̆ces, ‘variation, alternation.’ The Aryan root wī̆k (Lat. vī̆c-) appears to have had a variant wī̆g, which occurs in Woche and weihen. For AS. wrîxl see Wasen.