An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/dröhnen

by Friedrich Kluge

dröhnen, verb, ‘to roar, mumble, creak, drone,’ simply Modern High German, borrowed from Low German drönen; compare Dutch dreunen, Old Icelandic drynja, verb, ‘to drone, roar,’ Old Icelandic drynr, masculine, ‘droning,’ Gothic drunjus, masculine, ‘loud sound.’ See derivatives of the same root drē̆n, dhrē̆n, under Drohne; compare besides Greek θρῆνος, ‘lamentation.’