An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Häring

by Friedrich Kluge

Häring, Hering, masculine, ‘herring,’ from the equivalent Middle High German hœ̂rinc (-ges), masculine, Old High German hâring, masculine; compare Dutch haring, Anglo-Saxon hœ̂ring, masculine, English herring; a specifically West Teutonic word (in Old Icelandic sild), whose â (œ̂) is also attested by Frisian dialects and by the Modern High German pronunciation with œ̂. The Old High German, Middle High German, and Middle Dutch variant hęring points to a connection with Old High German hęri, ‘army,’ and thus regards the fish as ‘one that comes in shoals,’ as Heerling, ‘small army.’ Whether the older form hâring (Anglo-Frisian hœ̂ring) is related to these cognates is uncertain. The Teutonic word found its way into Romance (French hareng).