An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Imme

by Friedrich Kluge

Imme, feminine, ‘bee,’ from Middle High German imbe (later imme), masculine, Old High German imbi, ‘swarm of bees’ (hence a collective term; the meaning ‘bee’ first occurs in late Middle High German). In Old High German records imbi bîanô denotes ‘swarm of bees’; compare Anglo-Saxon geogoð, ‘a youthful band,’ with English youth (see Bursche, Frauenzimmer, Stute), Yet it is questionable whether imbi has ever signified ‘swarm, herd’ (generally). Its direct connection with Biene (root bī̆) is certainly dubious; it is more probably related to Greek ἐμπίς, ‘mosquito, gnat.’