An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Haar
Haar (1.), m., ‘flax,’ from the equiv. MidHG. har, OHG. haro (gen. MidHG. and OHG. harwes), m.; Goth. *harwa- (gen. *harwis) is also implied by OIc. hǫrr (dat. hǫrve), m., ‘flax.’ As to its connection with Haar (2.) see the latter. Perhaps the word is most closely related to E. hards (‘refuse of flax, tow’). See Hede.
Haar (2.), n., ‘hair,’ from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. hâr, n.; comp. the corresponding OIc. hâr, n., AS. hœ̂r, n., E. hair, Du. haar; a common Teut. word (in Goth., however, tagl and skuft). The following Teut. words are also primit. allied — OIc. haddr and AS. heord, ‘hair’ (Goth. *hazda), as well as Ir. cass, ‘curled hair.’ In the non-Teut. languages comp. OSlov. kosmŭ, m., kosa (Lith. kasa), f., ‘hair,’ and probably also OSlov. čésati, ‘to comb,’ Lat. carere, ‘to card wool.’ The more definite relations in sound existing between these words are difficult to determine (comp. also Gr. κόμη, Lat. coma?). On the other hand, there is no phonetic difficulty in connecting the Teut. *hera-, ‘hair,’ with harwa-, deduced under Haar (1.); the mere possibility is, however, all that can be maintained. Comp. also Locke and kraus. — An old derivative of Haar, AS. hœ̂re, OHG. hârâ, hârrâ, f., ‘hair shirt, coarse garment,’ found its way into Romance (Fr. haire).