An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Kobold

by Friedrich Kluge

Kobold, m., ‘goblin,’ from MidHG. kóbolt, with the variant kobólt, m., ‘fantastic familiar spirit, goblin.’ As the genuinely Teut. household deities, the Kobolde may be regarded as equiv. to the AS. cofgodu, cofgodas, ‘penates, lares’ (unfortunately AS. *cofold or *cofweald, ‘household deity,’ lit. ‘protector of the bedchamber,’ is not recorded); in Goth. probably *kubawalda-. The first component is OIc. kofe, AS. cofa, ‘apartment, chamber’ (see Koben). The MidHG. and ModHG. variants Oppold and Opolt may have been *ôtwalt, Goth. *audawald, ‘Lord of wealth’; the old ôt, ‘wealth,’ has been retained only in proper names like Ottofar, Otfried (Eduard, E. Edward). For the ending -old see under Herold and walten.