An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Kring

by Friedrich Kluge

Kring, masculine, ‘circular pad for the head,’ from Middle High German krinc(g), masculine, ‘circle, ring, district,’ with the Middle German variant kranc(g); Low German has a variant krink with final k, since in the whole of the corresponding class k and g at the end of the stem interchange (compare frank). Scandinavian kring, kringum, adverb, ‘round about,’ kringja, ‘to encircle,’ kringlóttr, adjective, ‘round.’ — English crank, Middle English cranke; English to crankle, ‘to run in a winding course,’ crinkle, ‘wrinkle, bend.’ Modern High German Ring and its cognates differ etymologically from Kring. In the allied Aryan languages some connect Lithuanian gręziù, grężti, ‘to twist, turn,’ with the Aryan root grengh, authenticated by Kring. Greek βρόχος, ‘noose, cord,’ is scarcely akin.