From Proto-Germanic*īwaz, from Proto-Indo-European*h₁eyH-weh₂-, a suffixed form of the base *h₁eyH-(“reddish, colourful”). Cognate with Old High German īwa (German Eibe), Middle Low German īwe, Dutch ijf, Old Norse ýr(“bow, yew”). The Indo-European root is perhaps also the source of Old Irish ibar (Irish iúr), Proto-Balto-Slavic *eiwas (Lithuanian ievà), Proto-Slavic *jьva (Russian ива(iva, “willow”)), Latin ūva(“bunch of grapes”)).
The West Germanic languages have a variant *īhwaz with a guttural consonant, represented by Old English ēoh.