An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Haus

by Friedrich Kluge

Haus, n., ‘house, household,’ from MidHG. and OHG. hûs, n., which has the same sound in all OTeut. dials.; ModDu. huis, E. house (to which husband, hussy, and hustings, are allied). Goth. *hus is found only once in gudhûs, ‘temple,’ lit. ‘God's house' (for which Goth. razn is used; comp. Rast), but may be also inferred from the borrowed term, OSlov. chyzŭ, ‘house.’ In the other Teut. dialects it is the prevalent term, corresponding to G. Haus. Probably cognate with Hütte, and like this term allied to a Teut. root hū̆d, ‘to hide’ (AS. hŷdan, E. to hide); hûsa- for hûssa-, hûþta-, lit. ‘that which hides’?. See further under Hütte. Others connect Goth. hûs with Goth. huz-ds, ‘refuge,’ and Lat. custos. In this case too the prim. sense assigned would hold good.