An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Reim

by Friedrich Kluge

Reim, m., ‘rhyme,’ from MidHG. rîm, m., ‘verse, line.’ To the assonant OHG. rîm, m., this sense is unknown; it signifies ‘row, succession, number,’ and these meanings are attached to the corresponding words in the other OTeut. dials.; comp. OSax. unrîm, ‘innumerable quantity,’ AS. rîm, ‘number.’ From these OTeut. words MidHG. rîm, ‘verse,’ must be dissociated, and connected rather with Lat. rhythmus (versus rhythmicus). The ModHG. word acquired the sense of Fr. rîme, ‘rhyme,’ in the time of Opitz. In the MidHG. period rîme binden was used for reimen, ‘to rhyme,’ and Gebäude by the Meistersingers for Reim. E. rhyme (MidE. rîme, ‘rhymed poem, poem, rhyme’) is also borrowed from OFr. rime.