An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/essen

by Friedrich Kluge

essen, vb., ‘to eat, dine, feed on,’ from the equiv. MidHG. ëȥȥen, OHG. ëȥȥan; common to Teut., and orig. an OAryan str. vb.; comp. Goth. itan, OIc. eta, AS. ëtan, E. to eat, Du. eten, OSax. ëtan; see fressen. The verbal root ët, ‘to eat,’ common to Teut., to which OHG. and MidHG. âs, ModHG. Aas (comp. Lat. êsus for *êd-to-, the partic. of edere), also belong, is based upon an Aryan root ē̆d; comp. the Sans. root ad, Gr. ἔδομαι, Lat. ĕdo, Lith. ědmi, ěmi, OSlov. jamĭ (from *ědmĭ), ‘I eat.’ —