An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Trauer

by Friedrich Kluge

Trauer, feminine, ‘mourning, sorrow, grief,’ from the equivalent Middle High German trûre, feminine; a derivative of Middle High German trûren, Old High German trûrên (equivalent to Modern High German trauern, ‘to mourn, grieve’), weak verb. Allied to Modern High German traurig, ‘mournful, sad,’ Middle High German trûrec, Old High German *trûrac (g); to this adjective Anglo-Saxon dreórig, English dreary, is related by gradation (compare Dutch treurtg, ‘sad.’ Borrowed from High German?). On account of Old High German trûrên, ‘to lower one's eyes,’ the cognates are based on the Old Teutonic root drus, ‘to fall, sink’ (compare Gothic driusan, Anglo-Saxon dreósan, ‘to fall’).