From Middle High German benetzen, from Old High German binezzen, derived from nezzen, from Proto-West Germanic *nattjan, from Proto-Germanic *natjaną, from *nataz (“wet”), whence German nass. Equivalent to be- + netzen, which simplex is highly archaic. The relation with nass is typically not recognised by contemporary speakers, who may in fact associate it with Netz (“net”), as if meaning “to…