An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Lippe
Lippe, feminine, ‘lip,’ unknown to Middle High German and Old High German; it has appeared in the written language since Luther. It is the Low German and Middle German word for Upper German Lefze; Compare Old Saxon *lippa, Dutch lip, Anglo-Saxon lippa, English lip; in Gothic we have perhaps to assume *lipiô, feminine. According to Old Saxon lëpur the Teutonic root is lep, and this, following the permutation of consonants, is based on leb. The correspondence with Latin labium is generally accepted; but when this is connected with lambere, ‘to lick,’ difficulties are presented, especially by the meaning. To represent the lip as ‘that which licks’ is not satisfactory. In Teutonic a verb (Old High German laffan, preterite luof) corresponding to Latin lambere has been retained, and the rules of gradation show that High German Lippe cannot be allied to this; Lippe is connected rather with a Gothic verb *lipan, not *lapan (Old High German laffan). Latin labium was derived perhaps from *lebium (Gothic *lipjô) and connected with lambere; to this Modern Persian lab, ‘lip,’ is allied. The Low German word passed through Dutch into French lippe, feminine, ‘blobber lip.’