An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Durst

by Friedrich Kluge

Durst, masculine, ‘thirst,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German durst, masculine; compare Middle Low German and Dutch dorst, Anglo-Saxon þyrst, English thirst; Gothic þaurstei, feminine, ‘thirst.’ The final t of the Old High German and English words is a derivative, as may be inferred from Gothic þaúrseiþ mik, ‘I am thirsty.’ The further comparisons made under Darre, dörren, dürr, amply prove that the short form þors, from pre-Teutonic tṛš, signifies ‘to be thirsty’; compare especially Old Indian tṛšṇaj, ‘thirsty,’ tṛšnâ, feminine, ‘thirst,’ tṛš, strong verb (3rd personal singular tṛšyati, Goth þaurseiþ), ‘to pant, be thirsty'; tṛšú-s, ‘panting.’