An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Klause

by Friedrich Kluge

Klause, f., ‘cell,’ from MidHG. klûse, klûs, f., ‘hermitage, cell,’ also ‘monastery,’ OHG. chlûsa. MidLat. clausa, clusa, clausum, closum, with the meanings ‘locus seu ager sepibus vel muris septus aut clausus,’ also ‘monastery’; hence the HG. word is based on clusa, which is a later participial form, due to clûsus, the partic. of the compounds of claudere, in place of the earlier clausus (comp. Ital. chiusa). On the other hand, MidHG. klôse, klôs, f., ‘hermitage, monastery,’ with the derivative klôsenœre, ‘hermit’ (comp. MidLat. clausarius, ‘monk,’ but clûsinaria, f., ‘virgo deo sacra reclusa’), is based on MidLat. clausa, *clôsa (comp. clôsum). The MidHG. meanings of klôse, klûse, ‘rocky cleft, defile, ravine,’ are connected with MidLat. clûsa, ‘angustus montium aditus.’ Comp. also Kloster, AS. clûs, f., ‘cell.’