The Wends and the Venedi.

A couple of selections from the Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture
(EIEC):

Identifications more widely accepted derived from the first centuries AD where the Venedi, generally presumed to be the Slavic Wends, are recorded to the east of the Vistula. -- 'Slavic Languages', p. 524.

Among those who look to Poland as the Slavic homeland, the Przeworsk culture shows continuity with the preceding cultures (Lusatian) and insures that the Slavic homeland was in this territory from whence the Venedi, one of hte earliest historically attested Slavic tribes, are specifically derived.  -- 'Przeworsk Culture', p. 470.

Under 'desire', p. 158, EIEC gives *u̯enh x- (first character is u-combining breve below = 'w'), and notes it is "widespread and old in IE". The American Heritage Dictionary, 3rd Edition, gives this as the root underlying 'Wend', along with Venus and Vanir, and English 'win', among others.

EIEC says it underlies Latin venus 'lust', Old Norse vinr 'friend', Old English wine 'friend'; Old High German gi-winnen 'achieve through struggle': Gothic wens 'hope'; perhaps Hittite wen 'copulate';  Avestan vanta 'beloved wife'; Old Indic vanas- 'lust', vanoti  'demands, strives for, likes, obtains, conquers', vama 'dear'; etc. No specifically Slavic root is given.

The semantic space is desire, wish, something for which one strives to win.

One interesting thought is the connection between the Vanir, the Norse family of gods, and the speculative possibility that whatever historical nugget may lay underneath their name may be connected to the Wendish people.

As an ethnonym, you have to think about it. The Strivers? The Lustful Ones? The Friends?

Is there is a connection with the root that underlies Venedi, 'Venetic'?

Mark.