An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Pfriem

by Friedrich Kluge

Pfriem (1.), masculine, from the equivalent Middle High German pfrieme. masculine, ‘awl’; corresponding to Dutch priem, ‘awl, dagger’; allied to Anglo-Saxon preón, ‘awl, needle,’ English preen, ‘tool for carding wool,’ Old Icelandic prjónn, ‘nail, plug.’ With regard to the interchange of n and m romp. Boden, Feim, Pflaume, and Pilgrim.

Pfriem (2.), masculine, ‘broom’ (plant), based on Pfriem (1); from Middle High German pfrimme, Old High German pfrimma, feminine, ‘broom,’ with the variant brimma, which indicates that the word was borrowed; corresponding to Dutch brem, ‘broom.’ The source of the cognates has not yet been discovered.