An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Wespe

by Friedrich Kluge

Wespe, f., ‘wasp,’ from the equiv. MidHG. węspe, earlier węfse, f. (m.), OHG. węfsa (earlier wafsa), f.; a genuine Teut. word; comp. AS. wœfs, wœps, m., E. wasp. Hence we must probably assume a Teut. wafs-, beside which Teut. wabis-, wabit-, is presupposed by Bav. wębes, East Thuringian wêpschen, wêwetzchen (in West Thur. wispel). Aryan wops- (wobhes-), which points to the verbal root weben (see Wiebel), is almost as widely diffused in the Aryan languages as Hornisse; OBret. guohi, ‘wasps’ (from wops-), Lith. vapsà, ‘gadfly,’ OSlov. vosa, ‘wasp,’ and probably also by gradation Lat. vespa. In the MidHG. period a form vespe was borrowed from Lat. vespa; on the other hand, Fr. guêpe is probably due on account of its initial sound to Ger. influence.