An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/backen

by Friedrich Kluge

backen, vb. (dial. UpG. bachen), ‘to bake,’ from MidHG. backen, bachen, str. vb.; doublets are found even in OHG. bacchan, bahhan, str. vbs.; OHG. cch is based upon the double consonants kk (OSax. bakkeri, ‘baker,’ Du. bakken, ‘to bake’); but ch presupposes a simple k. Comp. AS. bacan, str. vb., E. to bake, as well as E. batch, from MidE. bacche, AS. *bäcce, where cc points to the ck of the ModHG. word. Whether a Goth. *bakkan or *baqan, str. vb. must be presupposed is uncertain; the pre-Teut. form of the verbal root is Aryan bhō̆g, as is shown by its primit. kinship to Gr. φώγω, ‘I roast’; the affinity of Lat. fŏcus, ‘hearth,’ is doubtful.