An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Röhre

by Friedrich Kluge

Röhre, feminine, ‘tube, pipe, flue,’ from Middle High German rœre, Old High German rôra, rôrra, from an earlier rôrea, feminine, ‘reed stalk, hollow stalk, reed’; a derivative of Rehr, Old High German rôr (Gothic *rauzjô, feminine, is wanting); hence Röhre is literally ‘the reed-shaped.’