An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/toben

by Friedrich Kluge

toben, vb., ‘to fume, rage, bluster,’ from the equiv. MidHG. toben, OHG. tôbên (tobôn), wk. vb.; corresponding to the equiv. AS. dofian, ‘delirare’ (gedof, ‘fury, rage, madness’). Based on the Teut. root dub, ‘to be mentally confused, to be deafened,’ from which taub and dumm are also derived. Whether we have to assume on account of OHG. tûfar, tûbar, ‘silly, foolish,’ an Aryan root dhū̆p, dhū̆q, is dubious; perhaps Lith. dúkti, ‘to grow mad,’ dúkis, ‘fury, madness,’ are primit. allied to the cognates of toben.