An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/horchen

by Friedrich Kluge

horchen, verb, ‘to hearken, listen to, obey,’ properly Middle German (in Upper German losen, hören), Middle High German hō̆rchen, late Old High German hôrechen, from *hôrahhôn; compare Anglo-Saxon *heárcian, English to hark, Old Frisian hêrkia; a common West Teutonic derivative of hören. Gothic *hauzaqôn? (whence in Anglo-Saxon hŷrcnian, English to hearken). Compare English to talk, connected with to tell, to lurk with to lower (see lauern), to walk, related to wallen.