An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/zünden

by Friedrich Kluge

zünden, vb., ‘to take fire, set on fire, kindle,’ from MidHG. zünden, ‘to set on fire,’ OHG. zunten (from zuntjan), wk. vb., ‘to kindle’; also in MidHG. zunden, ‘to burn, give light,’ OHG. zundên, ‘to be aflame, glow.’ Comp. Goth. tundnan, ‘to be kindled,’ tandjan, wk. vb., ‘to set on fire,’ AS. tyndan, MidE. tenden, E. (dial.) teend, tind, ‘to kindle,’ OIc. tendra, Swed. tända, Dan. tœnde. MidHG. zinden, str. vb., ‘to burn, glow,’ implies a Goth. str. vb. *tindan; to this is allied OHG. zinsilo, m., zinsilôd, ‘fomes,’ zinsera, f. ‘censer’ (not from Lat. incensorium), and zinsilôn, ‘machinari.’ With Goth. tandjan, ‘to set on fire,’ are connected OHG. zantaro, MidHG. zander, ‘glowing coal,’ OIc. tandre, ‘fire.’ The Teut. root tand (Aryan dnt?, dndh?), ‘to burn,’ has no undoubted cognates in the non-Teut. languages. — Derivative Zunder, Zundel, m., ‘tinder, touchwood, fuse,’ from the equiv. MidHG. zunder, m. and n., OHG. zuntara, zuntra, f. Comp. LG. tunder, Du. tonder, AS. tynder, E. tinder, OIc. tundr, Swed. tunder, Dan. tender. Forms with l also occur; comp. OHG. zuntil, MidHG. zundel, zündel, m., ‘lighter, tinder’ (ModHG. proper name Zündel), Du. tondel. From Teut. is borrowed OFr. tondre, ‘tinder.’