An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Himbeere

by Friedrich Kluge

Himbeere, f., ‘raspberry,’ rom the equiv. MidHG. hintbęr, n., OHG. hint-bęri, n.; lit. ‘hind-, doe-berry.’ With regard to ModHG. Himbeere, with a distinct second component (in MidHG., however, hemper, from hintbere, according to strict phonetic laws), see ModHG. Wimper, from wintbrâ. In AS. hindberie, f., means ‘strawberry’ and ‘raspberry’; comp. E. dial. hindberries, ‘raspberries’ (note too AS. hindhœ̂leþe, ‘ambrosia,’ MidHG. hirz-wurz, AS. heortclœ̂fre, ‘camedus,’ prop. ‘hemp agrimony’). In earlier ModHG. there existed a term Hind-läufte, from MidHG. hintlouf, ‘a plant growing on the hind's track,’ i.e., along forest paths, which was applied to the common chicory.