An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Kobold
Kobold, masculine, ‘goblin,’ from Middle High German kóbolt, with the variant kobólt, masculine, ‘fantastic familiar spirit, goblin.’ As the genuinely Teutonic household deities, the Kobolde may be regarded as equivalent to the Anglo-Saxon cofgodu, cofgodas, ‘penates, lares’ (unfortunately Anglo-Saxon *cofold or *cofweald, ‘household deity,’ literally ‘protector of the bedchamber,’ is not recorded); in Gothic probably *kubawalda-. The first component is Old Icelandic kofe, Anglo-Saxon cofa, ‘apartment, chamber’ (see Koben). The Middle High German and Modern High German variants Oppold and Opolt may have been *ôtwalt, Gothic *audawald, ‘Lord of wealth’; the old ôt, ‘wealth,’ has been retained only in proper names like Ottofar, Otfried (Eduard, English Edward). For the ending -old see under Herold and walten.