An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Eber

by Friedrich Kluge

Eber, m., from the equiv. MidHG. ëber, OHG. ëbar, m., ‘wild boar’; corresponds to AS. eofor, m., ‘wild boar’ (E. York from AS. Eoforwic, lit. ‘boar-town’), OIc. jǫfurr, ‘wild boar,’ figuratively ‘prince’ (also jórbjúga, ‘a kind of sausage’); Goth. *ibrus, *ibarus. With the pre-Teut. base eprús some have connected OBulg. veprĭ, m., Lat. aper, m., ‘wild boar.’ Similarly in the terms for Ferkel and Schwein, the West Aryan languages only partially agree.