An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Salweide

by Friedrich Kluge

Salweide, feminine, ‘sallow, round-leaved willow’; allied to Middle High German salhe, feminine, Old High German salaha (Gothic *salhô), feminine, ‘willow’; the second part of the Modern High German compound serves as. an explanation of the old term, which is undoubtedly of genuine Teutonic origin; compare Old Icelandic selja, feminine (Gothic *salhjô), and Anglo-Saxon sealh, English sallow. Primit. allied to Greek ἑλίκῇ (Arcad.), Latin sălix (accusative salicem), ‘willow’; French saule is based not on the Latin, but on the High German word.