An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Bleihe

by Friedrich Kluge

Bleihe, feminine, ‘whitebait, bleak,’ Dutch term for a ‘species of white fish; compare Dutch blei, Middle Low German and Middle Dutch bleie, Anglo-Saxon blœ̂ge, English *blay; from blajjôn for *blaigjôn (compare Old High German reia, Anglo-Saxon rœ̂ge, from raigjon; see under Reh). As Modern High German Ricke is a parallel form of Old High German reia, so Middle High German and Modern High German (Swiss) blicke is a variant of Low German bleie. The primary meaning and further cognates are uncertain; Old High German bleihha, Middle High German bleiche, would point to a connection with bleich (compare Old Icelandic blígja, ‘to glance at’).