An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/behagen

by Friedrich Kluge

behagen, vb. (to which behaglich is allied), ‘to be comfortable,’ from the equiv. MidHG. behagen; OSax. bilagôn, AS. onhagian, ‘to suit, please,’ OIc. haga, ‘to arrange.’ OG. has only a str. participle, OHG. bihagan, MidHG. behagen, ‘fresh, joyous, comfortable’ (hence ModHG. das Behagen, Unbehagen); the old str. vb. no longer exists in Teut. Probably the Ind. root çak is primitively related to it — çaknômi, ‘am strong, able, helpful, beneficial,’ çakrá-s, ‘strong’; comp. further Hag, Hecke, and hegen, which with the same phonetic form approximate the earlier meaning ‘to help, protect.’