An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Lerche

by Friedrich Kluge

Lerche, f., ‘lark,’ from the equiv. MidHG. lē̆rche, from lêreche, lêwreche, OHG. lêrahha, f.; it is shown by the equiv. Du. leeuwerik, AS. lâwrice, lœ̂werce, lâwerce, E. lark, Scotch laverock, OSwed. lœrikia, as well as the MidHG. variants lêwerich, lêwerech, lêwerch, that a fuller form would have been *lêwarahha in OHG. The Goth. form cannot be determined with any certainty, nor can we say definitely whether the OHG. and AS. words are compounds or simply unusual derivatives,