An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/bauen

by Friedrich Kluge

bauen, verb, ‘to build, construct, cultivate,’ from Middle High German bûwen, Old High German and Old Low German bûan (weak verb with traces of a strong inflexion), ‘to dwell, inhabit, till, plant’; with regard to the meaning ‘to dwell,’ compare Bau, Bauer, and Bude. To the Old High German bûan corresponds Gothic bauan, ‘to dwell, inhabit.’ The root, in accordance with the law of the permutation of consonants, is pre-Teutonic bhû, which, on comparison with Sanscrit bhû, Greek φύω, Latin fui (futurus), &c., must mean ‘to be, become, arise, beget.’ With the same root are connected the following nouns, which are of importance in determining its primary sense: Old Indian bhûmis, ‘earth,’ bhûtis, ‘existence,’ φῦμα, ‘produce’ (compare also Baum), φύσις, ‘nature,’ φῦλον, φυλή, ‘tribe, race.’