An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Kerbel

by Friedrich Kluge

Kerbel, m., ‘chervil,’ from the equiv. MidHG. kërvele, kërvel, f. and m., OHG. kërvola, kërvela, f., ‘a culinary and medicinal herb’; comp. AS. čerfille, E. chervil. It was probably naturalised in Germany before the OHG. period, and is derived from Lat. cœrifolium (χαιρέφυλλον), whence also Fr. cerfeuil, Ital. cerfoglio, which were borrowed at a period when the initial c before open vowels was still pronounced k; comp. Keller, Kerker, Kaiser, Kreuz, Pech, &c. In the period before the HG. permutation of consonants, the Ital. art of cookery and horticulture, and with the latter many southern vegetables and herbs, were introduced into Germany; comp. Rappes, Pfeffer, Minze, Kohl, and Keller,