An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/laben

by Friedrich Kluge

laben, vb., ‘to refresh,’ from MidHG. laben, OHG. labôn (comp. AS. gelafian), ‘to wash, quicken, refresh.’ If we take into consideration Tacitus' account of the fondness of the Teutons for bathing, we can readily conceive how the meaning ‘to refresh’ was evolved from ‘to wash’; the reverse course is also possible, as is shown perhaps by ModHG. sich erfrischen, sich stärken, in the sense of ‘to drink,’ The former is the more probable, on account of MidHG. lap (b), ‘bilge water’; there is, however, no connection with Lat. lavare, Gr. λούειν. —