An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Möwe

by Friedrich Kluge

Möwe, f., ModHG. only, from the equiv. LG. mewe, Du. meeuw, f., ‘mew, seagull.’ The word existed in OHG. as méh; Goth. *maihws is wanting; comp. OIc. má-r, m., ‘seagull.’ A variant *maiwi is indicated by AS. mœ̂w, E. mew (for the interchange of hw and w see Niere), as well as by the Du. form meeuw. A pre-Teut. *maiko-, *maiki, has not yet been found with a meaning similar to that of the Teut. cognates.