An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/jetzt

by Friedrich Kluge

jetzt, av. (older ietz, like ie for je), ‘now, at the present time,’ from the equiv. MidHG. ietze, iezuo (hence the archaic ModHG. jetzo), beside which MidHG. iezunt, ModHG. jetzund, with a new suffix, occurs. How the adv. ie-zuo, recorded in earlier MidHG., can mean ‘now’ is not clear; comp. MidHG. iesâ, ‘at once,’ from ie (see je) and sâ, ‘at once.’