An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Rasse

by Friedrich Kluge

Rasse, f., ‘race, breed,’ borrowed in the 18th cent. from Fr. race, which is recorded as early as the 16th cent., at which period the E. word race was also borrowed; the Fr. term and its Rom. cognates (Ital. razza is met with even in the 14th cent.) are derived from OHG. reitza, reiȥȥa, f., ‘line.’