An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Jauchert

by Friedrich Kluge

Jauchert, Juchert, m., from the equiv. MidHG. jûchert, late OHG. juhhart (û?), n., ‘acre’; the Bav. and Alem. word for the Franc. and MidG. Morgen. The usual derivation from Lat. jûgerum, ‘acre of land’ (prop. 5/8 acre), does not offer a satisfactory explanation of the OHG. word, for the equiv. MidHG. jiuch, n. and f., ‘acre of land,’ can only be cognate with Lat. jûgernum, and not a mutilated form of the Lat. original. Hence MidHG. jiuch, like Lat. jûgerum, is doubtlessly connected with ModHG. Joch and Lat. jugum; consequently Juchert is lit. ‘as much land as can be ploughed by a yoke of oxen in a day’; the suffix of OHG. juhhart suggests that of MidHG. egerte, ‘fallow land.’ See Joch.