An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Brassen

by Friedrich Kluge

Brassen, masculine, ‘bream,’ from the equivalent Middle High German brahsen, brasem, Old High German brahsa, brahsima, brahsina, masculine, feminine; the Upper German dialects still preserve the form Brachsme (the forms Brasse, feminine, Brassen, masculine, are Middle Low German and MidGer.). Compare the equivalent Dutch brasem, English brasse. From Old German is derived French brême (from brahsme?), whence English bream is borrowed. The class belongs perhaps to an Old Teutonic strong verb brëhwan, ‘to shine.’