An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/genießen

by Friedrich Kluge

genießen, verb, ‘to enjoy, partake of,’ from the equivalent Middle High German genieȥen, Old High German ginioȥan, strong verb, with the variants Middle High German nieȥen, Old High German nioȥan; corresponding to Gothic niutan, ‘to take part in something,’ ganiutan, ‘to catch’ (nuta, ‘captor, fisher’). Old Icelandic njóta, ‘to enjoy, derive joy from, have the use of,’ Anglo-Saxon neótan, ‘to take, use, enjoy,’ Dutch genieten, Old Saxon niotan, ‘to enjoy.’ The primary meaning of the Teutonic root nut, found in strong verbs, was ‘to get something for one's own use,’ then ‘to use or enjoy something, have the use of.’ See Nuß, Nießnutz. Akin to the primitively allied Lithuanian naudà, ‘use, produce,’ pa-nústu, -nūdau, -nūsti, ‘to long, yearn for.’ —