Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language.djvu/195

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ἄγνος; this being associated with ἁγνός, ‘pure,’ gave rise to the Lat. agnus castus; agnus, Gr. ἄγνος, being confused with agnes, ‘lamb,’ led to HG. Keuschlamm, one of the strangest products of sciolism (not of popular etymology). The tree is also called Keuschbaum, Du. kuischboom.

Kibitz, m., ‘lapwing,’ with numerous dial. forms varying at different periods; they are all due to a corruption of a term the etymology of which was not understood; in MidHG. also there are several forms; gîbitze, gîbitz, gîbiȥ occur in the written language. The similarity in sound of the equiv. Russ. čibezŭ and of MidLG. kîvit, Du. kievit, E. peewit, suggests the assumption that Kibitz is of onomatopoetic origin. The suffix resembles that in Stiglitz.

Kicher, f., ‘chick-pea,’ from the equiv. MidHG. kicher, OHG. chihhurra, chihhira, f.; based on Lat. cicer (plur. cicera), n., ‘chick-pea,’ cicera, f., ‘chickling vetch'; MidLat. cicoria, cichorea, which would be most closely allied phonetically to OHG. chihhurra, signifies ‘chicory (Gr. κἴχώριον). MidE. chiche, E. chiches, chickpeas, plur., with the suffix r wanting as in Fr. chiche, Ital. cece. The term was borrowed before the OHG. period (Du. sisererwt is more recent).

kichern, vb., ‘to titter,’ ModHG. only; allied to OHG. chihhazzen, ‘to laugh,’ a variant of OHG. chahhazzen (MidHG. kachzen); comp. also MidHG. kah, m., ‘loud laughter,’ and MidHG. kachen, ‘to laugh loudly’; the ch is not based, as in other instances, on Teut. k, but following AS. ceahhet an, ‘to laugh,’ on OTeut. hh. The cognates are onomatopoetic, the root of which cannot be discovered. In Gr. similar terms were coined, καχάζω, καγχάζω, καγχαλάω, καγχλάζω, ‘to laugh loudly,’ καχλάζω, ‘to splash and bubble.’ On account of the non-permutation of the consonants the terms cannot have been orig. allied. The Gr. words may, however, be cognate with Sans. kakh, ‘to laugh.’

Kiebitz, see Kibitz.

Kiefer (1.), m., from the equiv. MidHG. kiver (m., n. ?), kivel, kivele, ‘jaw, jawbone,’ besides which there is a form from the stem of kauen, MidHG. kiuwel, m., and usually kiuwe, këwe, f., ‘jaw, jawbone.’ Yet ModHG. kiver, kivel, have, notwithstanding their rare occurrence, a remoter history in the past; with Goth. *kifru- is connected OIc. kjǫptr, kjaptr (Goth. *kiftus), ‘mouth

(of beasts), jawbone,’ and also with the a stage of gradation, AS. ceafl, OSax. kafl, m., ‘jaw of animals’ (with regard to the gradation comp. Käfer, Giebel, and Kerl). The Teut. stem is therefore kef, kaf, or rather keb, kab (before l and r later permutations of b to f sometimes occur), from pre-Teut. geph or gebh; comp. Zend zafare, zafra, n., ‘mouth, jaws’ (the corresponding term in Sans. *japhra, *jabhra, is wanting); the nasalised root jambh, by gradation jabh, ‘to snap at,’ leads to Gr. γαμφαΐ, γαμφηλαί, ‘jaws,’ yet these are probably connected more closely with the cognates discussed under Kamm. See Käfer.

Kiefer (2.), f., ‘pine,’ early ModHG. only; it cannot be traced further back; in UpG. Föhre simply. Hence Kiefer probably originated in Kienföhre (respecting the obscuration of old compounds comp. Wimper, Schultz, and Schuster). The intermediate form kimfer is recorded as North Boh. Comp. also MidHG. kienboum, m., ‘pine,’ and *kienforhe, f., ‘pine-tree’ (attested by the derivative kienforhîn, adj., ‘of pine’). Comp. Kien and Föhre.

Kieke; f., ‘foot-warmer,’ simply ModHG. from the equiv. LG. kîke, in Dan. ildkikkert, ‘foot-warmer.’ Of obscure origin.

Kiel (1.), m., from the equiv. MidHG. kil, m. and n., ‘quill’; not recorded in OHG.; dial. Keil (MidG.), pointing to MidHG. kîl; LG. quiele, kiel, is connected with MidE. quille, E. quill. Goth. *qilus or, *qeilus, and further cognate terms are wanting.

Kiel (2.), m., ‘keel,’ from MidHG. kiel, OHG. chiol, m., ‘a rather large ship’; comp. AS. ceól, m., ‘ship,’ Du. kiel, E. keel, OIc. kjóll, m., ‘ship.’ Scand. kjǫlr, m., ‘ship’s keel,’ is not allied to these; from this the E. word as well as the ModHG. meaning is probably derived (probably through LG. and Dan. influence). The OTeut. *kiuls (the assumed Goth. form), ‘ship,’ may be connected with Gr. γαυλός (γαῦλος), ‘merchant vessel’ (orig. ‘pail,’ also ‘articles in the form of a pail, e.g. beehive’); au would be Goth. iu, as in HG. Stier, Goth. stiurs, compared with Gr. ταῦρος. The fact that a naut. term was orig. common to both the Teutons and the Greeks is no more remarkable than the occurrence of the term Mast among the Teutons and the Romans; besides, the terms relating to shipbuilding stretch still further back, as is proved by the correspondence of Lat.