An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/albern

by Friedrich Kluge

albern, adj., ‘silly, foolish,’ earlier ModHG. alber, from MidHG. álwœre, ‘simple, silly,’ OHG. álawâri, ‘kind, friendly, well-disposed’ (with an interesting change of meaning from OHG. to MidHG.). The OHG. adj. signifies also ‘truly, quite true’; so Goth. wêrs ‘true,’ also means ‘friendly’ by inference from un-wêrjan, ‘to be unwilling, displeased’ (comp. too OHG. mitiwâriy, ‘friendly’). See wahr and all. Moreover, albern has not the present meanings in the UpG. dialects; Luther introduced it from MidG. into the written language.