An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Sense

by Friedrich Kluge

Sense, f., ‘scythe,’ from MidHG. sē̆́nse, sëgense, OHG. sëgansa, f., ‘sickle, scythe’ (for the suffix see Ahle); corresponding to OSax. *sëgasna (sëgisna), Du. zeissen, ‘scythe.’ From a Teut. root seg, ‘to cut’ (see Säge), whence OIc. sigðr, AS. sigðe, sîþe, f., E. scythe, LG. sicht; primit. allied to Lat. secare and securis, Aryan root sek, ‘to cut.’