An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Raupe

by Friedrich Kluge

Raupe (1.), f., ‘caterpillar,’ from MidHG. rûpe, rûppe, OHG. rûpa, rûppa, f., ‘larvæ of insects, caterpillar.’ In Suab. and Bav. (partly also in Swiss) the word is wanting, the term used being Graswurm, in OHG. grasawurm (yet in Suab. ruopen, ‘to clear the trees of caterpillars,’ with an abnormal ů for û); in Swiss roup, which probably originated in the written language (in Henneberg abnormally roppe).

Raupe (2.) in Aalraupe is an entirely different word; see the latter.