An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Kur

by Friedrich Kluge

Kur, Chur, f., ‘election,’ in Kurfürst connected with erkoren, erkiesen; MidHG. kür, küre, f. (MidG. kur, kure, without modification), ‘consideration, selection,’ espec. ‘election of a king’ (MidHG. kür-, kurvürste, MidG. korvürste, ‘Elector’); OHG. churi, f., is preserved in HG. Willfür in the regularly mutated form. AS. cyre, m., ‘choice’; Scand. kør, keyr, n., ‘choice.’ See kiesen.