An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/gegen

by Friedrich Kluge

gegen, prep., ‘against, opposite to, in presence of, in comparison with,’ from MidHG. gęgen, OHG. gęgin, gagan, ‘against’ (in OHG. and MidHG. almost always with a dat.); allied to the MidHG. adv. gęgene, OHG. gęgini, gagani, ‘towards’; corresponding to AS. geán, ongeán, ‘against,’ E. again; OSax. gęgin and OIc. gagn, ‘against,’ appear only in compounds; in Goth. a corresponding word is wanting. Of obscure origin. —