An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/stöbern

by Friedrich Kluge

stöbern, vb., ‘to fly about, drift, drizzle,’ ModHG. only, allied to earlier ModHG. Stöber, m., MidHG. stöuber, ‘hound,’ which is derived from MidHG. stöuben, ‘to scare up, start up, chase away’; the latter is a factitive of stieben. To this is allied ModHG. Gestöber, n., ‘drifting,’ formed from MidHG. stöuben, ‘to raise dust.’