An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Pfarre
Pfarre, feminine, ‘parish, parsonage, living,’ from Middle High German pfarre, Old High German pfarra, ‘parish’; corresponding to Low German parre. The current assumption that Pfarre is derived from the Middle Latin and Romance parochia (Italian parrochia), paroecia (Greek παροικία, French paroisse), and English parish (borrowed from French), is not quite satisfactory as far as the sound is concerned, since it assumes too great a modification of the word; note Old Irish pairche from parochia. The later parra recorded in Middle Latin is clearly an imitation of the German word, and therefore the latter cannot be based on it. Perhaps the ecclesiastical division was connected with an Old Teutonic *parra, ‘district,’ which is similar in sound and is assumed by the derivative Pferch; the idea associated with Pfarre in historic times originated, of course, in parochia, παροικία. —