An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/gewinnen

by Friedrich Kluge

gewinnen, verb, ‘to win, acquire, prevail on, conquer,’ from Middle High German gewinnen, Old High German giwinnan, ‘to attain by work, effort, victory, earn something, conquer, get,’ besides which are found Middle High German winnen, Old High German winnan, ‘to toil hard, contend’; corresponding to Gothic winnan (gawinnan), ‘to suffer, feel pain, torment oneself’ (allied to wunns and winnô, feminine, ‘suffering,’ Old High German winna, ‘strife, Middle High German winne, ‘pain’), Old Icelandic vinna, ‘to work, perform, win,’ Anglo-Saxon winnan, ‘to contend, exert oneself, English to win, Dutch gewinnen. The primary meaning of the Teutonic root winn is ‘to toil hard’ (especially used of toiling in fight). Whether Old High German wini, Anglo-Saxon wine, ‘friend,’ and Modern High German Wenne also belong to the same root is doubtful; yet the primitively allied Sanscrit root van signifies ‘to procure for oneself, obtain, assist in obtaining, conquer,’ and ‘to be fond of, favourable to.’