An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Aberglaube

by Friedrich Kluge

Aberglaube, masculine, ‘superstition,’ first occurs in early Modern High German (15th century); since Luther it has made its way into Modern High German; originally a Low German word (compare Adebar, Demut), as the vowel-sounds indicate. Low German aber, for over, ober, points to Old Low German *oƀar-gilóðo (Dutch overgeloof), ‘superstition,’ which is formed after the model of Latin superstitio; compare Danish overtro, Swedish öfvertro, but also in Middle Low German bîgelôve, Dutch bijgeloof.