An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/sehnen

by Friedrich Kluge

sehnen, verb, ‘to long, yearn,’ from Middle High German senen, ‘to long, inspire with longing’; allied to Middle High German sene, feminine, ‘yearning, longing.’ Unrecorded in Old High German and the other Old Teutonic dialects perhaps only by chance; of obscure origin, but probably genuine Teutonic.