An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/albern

by Friedrich Kluge

albern, adjective, ‘silly, foolish,’ earlier Modern High German alber, from Middle High German álwœre, ‘simple, silly,’ Old High German álawâri, ‘kind, friendly, well-disposed’ (with an interesting change of meaning from Old High German to Middle High German). The Old High German adjective signifies also ‘truly, quite true’; so Gothic wêrs ‘true,’ also means ‘friendly’ by inference from un-wêrjan, ‘to be unwilling, displeased’ (compare too Old High German mitiwâriy, ‘friendly’). See wahr and all. Moreover, albern has not the present meanings in the Upper German dialects; Luther introduced it from Middle German into the written language.