An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/mischen

by Friedrich Kluge

mischen, vb., from the equiv. MidHG. and MidLG. mischen, OHG. misken, ‘to mix’; comp. AS. miscian, E. to mix. In the other OTeut. languages a corresponding vb. is wanting. The agreement with Lat. misceo (miscere), ‘to mix,’ is evident. The only question is whether the word was primit. allied or was borrowed; that is difficult to determine, since, judging by sound and sense, both are possible. The assumption that the word was borrowed is supported by the loan-words relating to the Ital. culture of the vine, which are quoted under Most. On the other hand, the Rom. languages have instead of miscere a derivative misculare (Fr. méler, equiv. to OHG. misculôn, Suab. mište); yet comp. Ital. mescere. On the supposition that the word was primitively allied, which is supported by Meisch, we should have to compare, in addition to the Lat. term, Gr. μίσγω (σγ equiv. to Teut. sk?), μίγνυμι, the Sans. root miç in miçrá-s, ‘mixed,’ OSlov. měsiti, ‘to mix,’ Lith. mìsti, ‘to mingle’ (maísz-tas, ‘riot’). Hence Lat. misceo, and, if mischen is primit. allied to it, OTeut. miskja represent a pre-historic mik-skejo (with sk as a suffix of the pres. stem, like forschen for pre-historic *forhskôn; comp. waschen and wünschen). Comp. Meisch.