An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Bahn

by Friedrich Kluge

Bahn, feminine, ‘path, track, career,’ from Middle High German bane, ban, feminine, masculine, ‘road, way’; allied to Middle Dutch bane, Dutch baan. No word identical with this is found in any of the older periods of the Teutonic group. The cognates of bohnen are probably allied to it.