An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Erdbeere

by Friedrich Kluge

Erdbeere, f., ‘strawberry,’ from the equiv. MidHG. ërtbęr, OHG. ërtbęri, n.; perhaps not really a compound of Erde, but of OSax. erda, ‘honey-flower, common balm’; yet Swed. jordbär, tells in favour of a compound of Erde.