An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Schlaraffe

by Friedrich Kluge

Schlaraffe, masculine, ‘sluggard, lubber,’ for earlier Modern High German. Schlauraffe, which is met with as late as the first half of the last century; from Middle High German slûr-affe (sluder-affe), ‘luxurious, thoughtless idler, sluggard,’ recorded in the 14th century, and certainly of not much earlier date; the latter term is from Middle High German slûr, ‘sluggishness, lazy person,’ see schleudern, schlummern. The first detailed description of Schlaraffenland, of which the earliest mention is made in the 15th century, was given in a farce by Hans Sachs in 1530 A.D.