An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/zehren

by Friedrich Kluge

zehren, verb, ‘to eat and drink, live, waste,’ from Middle High German zęrn, (verzęrn), ‘to consume, use up’; Old High German firzëran, strong verb, means only ‘to dissolve, destroy, tear’ (compare Winzer). Corresponding to Gothic gataíran, ‘to destroy, annihilate,’ Anglo-Saxon tëran, English to tear; allied to Dutch teren, ‘to consume,’ Old Saxon fartęrian, ‘to annihilate,’ and also to Modern High German zerren and zergen. The Teutonic strong verbal root ter, ‘to tear,’ corresponds to Greek δέρειν, ‘to flay,’ Old Slovenian derą, ‘to tear,’ and the Sanscrit root dar, ‘to burst, fly in pieces or asunder.’