An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/eitel

by Friedrich Kluge

eitel, adjective, ‘vain, idle, useless, void,’ from Middle High German îtel, adjective, ‘empty, vacant, vain, useless, fruitless, pure, unadulterated,’ Old High German îtal, ‘empty, vacant, vain, boastful’; corresponding to Old Saxon îdal, ‘empty, invalid,’ Dutch ijdel, Anglo-Saxon îdel, ‘empty, useless, worthless,’ English idle. The originally meaning of the adjective was probably ‘empty’; but if we accept ‘shining’ as the primary sense, it follows that the word is connected with Greek αἴθω, Sanscrit root idh, ‘to flame.’