An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Hopfen

by Friedrich Kluge

Hopfen, masculine, ‘hops,’ from Middle High German hopfe, late Old High German hopfo, masculine; compare Middle Low German and Dutch hoppe, Middle English hoppe, English hop; Middle Latin hupa (for huppa?). The origin of the cognates is obscure; the term may be borrowed, but there is no proof of this. The assumed relation to Old High German hiufo, Old Saxon hiopo, Anglo-Saxon heópe, ‘brier,’ is not satisfactory, since the latter cannot be assigned to a general sense, ‘climbing plant.’ Nor is it probable that Hopfen is connected with hüpfen. Scandinavian has humall, masculine, Swedish and Danish hamle, formed from Middle Latin humlo, humulus (whence French houblon?). — Hopsen — hopsen, see hüpfen.