An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Reh

by Friedrich Kluge

Reh, n., ‘roe, deer,’ from the equiv. MidHG. rêck (gen. rêhes), OHG. rêf (gen. rêhes), n.; the stem raiha- is common to Teut.; comp. Du. ree, AS. râhdeór, E. roe, OIc. rá; Goth. *ráih is by chance not recorded. Allied also to OHG. and OLG. rêho, m. (like AS. râ, m., from *râha), ‘roe,’ and reia (AS. rœ̂ge). f., ‘caprea’; for another fem. form see Ricke. Teut. raiha- from raiko- can scarcely be related to Sans. ṛçya, ‘buck of a species of antelopes.’ See further Hahnrei.