An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/geruhen

by Friedrich Kluge

geruhen, vb., ‘to deign, condescend, be pleased,’ corrupted by connection with Ruhe from the earlier ModHG. geruochen, MidHG. geruochen, OHG. geruochan, ‘to care for, take into consideration’ (MidHG. also ‘to approve, grant’). Corresponding to ASax. rôkian, AS. rêcan (and rĕccan, whence E. to reck), OIc. rœ́kja, ‘to take care of.’ The Teut. root. rak, rôk, appears also in OHG. rahha, ‘account, speech;’ so too in rechnen. In the non-Teut. languages no root rā̆g in a cognate sense has yet been found.