An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Blut

by Friedrich Kluge

Blut, n., ‘blood, race,’ from the equiv. MidHG. bluot, OHG. bluot, n.; it corresponds regularly to Du. bloed, AS. blôd, E. blood. An OTeut. word meaning ‘blood,’ which is common to all the dialects; comp. Goth. blôþa- (for *blôda-). Pre-Teut. bhlâto- does not appear in any cognate language with the same meaning. The Aryan languages have no common word for blood. With respect to the Teut. word, it is still undecided whether it belongs to a root blô, ‘to bloom.’ Comp. also E. to bleed (for *blodjan). For Blutegel see Igel. Blut- in compounds like blutjung, blutarm, has nothing to do with Blut, but is dial. with the meaning ‘bare, naked’; UpG. and LG. blutt.