An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Taube

by Friedrich Kluge

Taube, feminine, ‘dove, pigeon,’ from the equivalent Middle High German tûbe, Old High German tûba, feminine; corresponding to the equivalent Gothic dûbô, Anglo-Saxon dûfe, English dove, Dutch duif. This common Teutonic term (for which Gothic ahaks, Anglo-Saxon culufre, ‘dove,’ are also found) has been connected with a Teutonic root dū̆b, ‘to dive,’ which appears in Anglo-Saxon dŷfan, English to dive, Taube being regarded as originally ‘water-dove.’ It is more probably related to Old Irish dub, ‘black,’ duibe, ‘blackness’; compare Greek πέλεια, ‘wild pigeon,’ from πελοός, ‘dark blue.’