An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Gold

by Friedrich Kluge

Gold, n., ‘gold,’ from the equiv. MidHG. golt(d), OHG. gold, n.; a common Teut. word; comp. OSax. gold, Du. goud, AS. and E. gold, OIc. goll, gull (for golþ-), Goth. gulþ, n., ‘gold,’ from pre-Teut. ghlto-, to which OSlov. zlato, Russ. zoloto (from zolto) are primit. allied; the word Silber is also common to Teut. and Slav. The primary sense of the root ghel, of which Gelt is a partic. derivative, is ‘to be yellow’; akin to Sans. hiraṇya, ‘gold,’ from hári, ‘gold yellow’; hence probably ModHG. gelb and glühen, with their cognates, are also primit. allied. In any case, Gr. χρῦσός has no connection with the Teut. word.