An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/rümpfen

by Friedrich Kluge

rümpfen, verb, ‘to turn up (the nose),’ from Middle High German rümphen, ‘to turn up (the nose), wrinkle’; Old High German *rumpfen is wanting, rimpfan (Middle High German rimphen), ‘to contract, wrinkle,’ being used; compare Dutch rimpelen, ‘to wrinkle,’ and rompelig, ‘rugged.’ The cognates have scarcely lost an initial h in spite of the existence of Anglo-Saxon hrympele, ‘wrinkle,’ and gehrumpen, ‘wrinkled,’ since gerumpen, ‘bent,’ is also recorded in Anglo-Saxon without an initial h. The Teutonic root rimp (compare further English rimple, rumple, and Dutch rimpel, ‘wrinkle’) has been connected with Greek ῥάμφος, ‘curved beak, especially of birds of prey,’ as well as ῥέμβομαι, ‘to roam,’ ῥαμφή, ‘curved dagger.’