Where does “Kobold” come from?
Kobold (English) comes from German Kobold, from Middle High German holt, from Old High German hold, from Proto-West Germanic *holþ, from Proto-Germanic hulþaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.
Kobold (English): goblin
Ancestry of “Kobold”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Kobold | kobold, goblin |
| 2 | Middle High German | holt | goblin |
| 3 | Old High German | hold | friendly , loyal |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *holþ | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hulþaz | inclined, favourable; gracious, devoted, loyal;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |
Words derived from “Kobold”