An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Essen

by Friedrich Kluge

Essen, neuter, ‘food, meal, dinner,’ even in Middle High German ëȥȥen, Old High German ëȥȥan, neuter, as an equivalent substantive; it is scarcely an infinitive used as a substantive, but rather an independent substantive form like Greek ἐδανόν, ‘food,’ Sanscrit ádana, neuter, ‘provender.’