An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Traum

by Friedrich Kluge

Traum, masculine, ‘dream, vision,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German troum, masculine; corresponding to the equivalent Old Saxon drôm, Dutch droom, English dream (recorded about 1200 A.D.), Old Icelandic draumr. The signification ‘dream,’ occurring in all these cognates, may be deduced from the literally meaning, ‘phantom, illusion,’ so that Teutonic draumo- (for draugmo- or draugwmó-?) would be connected with trügen. In any case, Old Saxon drôm (English dream) and Old Saxon drâm (Anglo-Saxon dreám), ‘shout of joy, noise,’ must be regarded as etymologically different words; the latter is connected with Greek θρῦλος, ‘noise.’ — Derivative träumen, verb, ‘to dream,’ from Middle High German tröumen, Middle High German and Old High German troumen.