From: G&P
Message: 67492
Date: 2011-05-06
> the etymology or English cognate of German 'achtung' (attention).
No real etymology, though it can be traced back through Middle High German and Old High German, and could be related to the Greek /oknos/, which means the kind of thinking that leads to delay (usually translated ‘hesitation’). /oknos/ would be from PIE* h3ek-, giving German ah- or acht- by regular processes. It is tempting to see a connection with PIE *h3ekw-, meaning to see, which has many descendant forms in Latin, English, and so on.
Peter