An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Kübel

by Friedrich Kluge

Kübel, m., ‘tub, bucket,’ from the equiv. MidHG. kübel, OHG. *chubil, m.; comp. OHG. miluh-chubilî, -chubilîn, n., ‘milk-pail’; allied to AS. cŷf (from kûbi-), MidE. kîve, ‘cask.’ The stem is genuinely Teut.; it is doubtful whether it is connected with the cognates (‘narrow space’) discussed under Koben. Its Rom. origin at all events must be rejected. — ModLat. cupella, cupellus, ‘mensura frumentaria’ and ‘vas potorium,’ do not coincide in meaning; Du. kuip, ‘vat, cask,’ is alone connected with Lat. cûpa, ‘cask.’ Some Rom. words, such as Prov. cubel, ‘tub,’ are derived from the Teut. cognates, from which Slav. and Lett. words are borrowed; Lith. kùbilas, ‘tub,’ OSlov. kŭbĭlŭ, ‘vessel,’ as a corn measure. Comp. Koben, Kopf, and Kufe.