An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Kalk
Kalk, m., ‘lime,’ from the equiv. MidHG. kalc, kalkes, OHG. chalch, m. The ModHG. variant Kalch (occurring in UpG. and MidG.) is based upon OHG. chalh for chalah (hh). Allied to AS. čealc; but E. chalk has assumed a divergent sense, just as MidHG. kalc means both ‘lime’ and ‘white-wash.’ The cognates are derived from the Lat. acc. calcem (nom. calx), and were borrowed at a very early period, as is indicated by the initial k, or rather c of the HG. and E. words, for somewhat later loan-words such as Kreuz (from crucem) have z for Lat. c; c remains as k in old loanwords such as Kaiser, Goth. lukarna, from Lat. lucerna, Keller, from cellarium. The Teutons became acquainted through the Itals. both with the name and thing about the same period as with Mauer and Ziegel (Tünche).