An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Zwist

by Friedrich Kluge

Zwist, m., ‘dissension, quarrel; twist,’ from the equiv. MidHG. zwist, m.; properly a LG. word which has passed into HG. Comp. LG. and Du. twist, ‘quarrel,’ also Du. and E. twist, Dan. twist, ‘twisted stuff, MidE. twist, ‘branch’ (twisten, ‘to plait’), Oc. tvistr, ‘sad, disunited,’ Ic. tvistra, ‘to dissever.’ The Aryan root dwis, on which these words are based, appears in Sans. as dviš, ‘to hate,’ with a signification that resembles ModHG. Zwist; it may have been ‘to be at variance, disunited.’ Perhaps Lat. bellum, duellum, ‘war, from the base *dwerlo-, equiv. to *dwislo-?, is also connected with this word.