An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/erwähnen

by Friedrich Kluge

erwähnen, verb, ‘to mention, call to notice,’ formed from the equivalent Middle High German gewęhenen, Old High German giwahinnen, giwahannen (preterite gi-wuog, participle giwaht and giwahinit), allied to Old High German giwaht, ‘mention, fame.’ Gothic *wahnjan belongs to the root wok, wō̆q (Teutonic wah), ‘to speak,’ which is widely diffused in the Aryan languages. Compare Latin vox, ‘voice,’ vocare, ‘to call,’ Greek ὅσσα for ϝόκjα and ὁπ- (for ϝοπ), ‘voice,’ ἔπος (for ϝέπος), ‘word,’ Sanscrit root vac, ‘to say, speak.’ In Teutonic this old root was not so widely developed.