An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/gut

by Friedrich Kluge

gut, adjective, ‘good, virtuous, skilful,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German guot; a common Teutonic term unknown to the non-Teutonic languages; compare Gothic gôds, Old Icelandic gôðr, Anglo-Saxon gôd, English good, Dutch goed. Its connection with Greek ἀγαθός is phonetically uncertain. Only in Teutonic are found reliable cognates which may elucidate the primary meaning of gut (yet compare Old Slovenian godŭ, ‘suitable time’?). The cognates of Gatte, with which English together, to gather, Gothic gadiliggs, ‘relative,’ also seem to be connected, prove that the primary meaning of gut is ‘belonging to one another, suitable.’ For the comparison of the adjective see baß, besser.