An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/rauben

by Friedrich Kluge

rauben, vb., ‘to rob, plunder,’ from MidHG. rouben, OHG. roubôn; OSax. rôbôn, AS. reáfian, whence E. to reave (the AS. subst. reáf has become obsolete in E.), Goth. biraubôn, ‘to plunder, despoil.’ The Teut. cognates passed with two distinct meanings into Rom.; comp. on the one hand Ital. ruba, ‘robbery,’ rubare, ‘to rob,’ Fr. dérober, ‘to steal,’ and on the other Ital. roba, ‘coat, dress,’ Fr. robe. The latter are connected with Raub, since by inference from OHG. roub and AS. reáf, ‘robbery, booty, armour, dress,’ the OTeut. word had probably acquired the meanings of ‘garments got by plundering, dress (generally).’ See also raufen.