An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Art

by Friedrich Kluge

Art, feminine, ‘kind, sort, species, manner,’ from Middle High German art, masculine, feminine, ‘innate peculiarity, nature, condition, kind’; Old High German art, is not recorded with these meanings, nor is the word found elsewhere. Instead of this there occurs the homonymous Old High German art, feminine, ‘tillage, ploughing,’ with which artôn, ‘to inhabit, cultivate,’ is connected; further, Old Saxon ard, masculine, ‘dwelling-place,’ Anglo-Saxon eard, masculine, ‘dwelling, native place,’ Old Icelandic ǫrð), feminine, ‘harvest, produce.’ These cognates, which belong (see Acker) to an Old Teutonic and Aryan root, ar, ‘to plough’ (Latin arare, Greek ἀρόω, &c.), are scarcely allied to Middle High German art, masculine, feminine, ‘nature, condition’; compare, however, Wohnung from gewöhnen. It is more probable that Art is connected with Latin ars (genitive plural arti-um), ‘method, art,’ and Sanscrit ṛtá, ‘method.’ The compounds Artacker, artbar, arthaft contain Middle High German and Old High German art, ‘agriculture, tillage,’ and belong consequently to the Teutonic and Aryan root ar, ‘to plough.’