An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/blühen

by Friedrich Kluge

blühen, verb, ‘to bloom, flower,’ from the equivalent Middle High German blüen, blüejen, Old High German bluojan; a weak verb, which, however, judging by Anglo-Saxon blôwan (English to blow), ‘to bloom,’ was formerly strong; Gothic *blôjan. the Teutonic stem blô- has a wide ramification in particular dialects; the primary sense is ‘to bloom.’ It is further apparent in many words for Blatt (‘leaf’) and Blume (‘flower’); see the following word, where the non-Teutonic cognates are discussed.