An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Dunst

by Friedrich Kluge

Dunst, m., ‘vapour, fume, mist,’ from MidHG. dunst, tunst, m., f., ‘steam, vapour,’ OHG. tunist, dunist, dunst, ‘storm, breath’; respecting the MidG. initial d. comp. Dust, dunkel. Corresponds to AS. dûst (for *dunst), E. dust. Teut. duns-, for dwuns-, is based upon an Aryan root dhwens, which still appears in Sans. dhvans, ‘to fall to dust’ (dhvasti, ‘falling to dust’).