Where does “Kobold” come from?

Kobold (German) comes 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 (German): kobold, goblin

Definitions

  1. kobold, goblin

Ancestry of “Kobold”, step by step

Kobold traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle High German holt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanholtgoblin
2Old High Germanholdfriendly, loyal
3Proto-West Germanic*holþgracious
4Proto-Germanichulþazinclined, favourable; gracious, devoted, loyal;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

via Middle High German kobe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germankobeshed, sty; sty, shed
2Old High Germankubisihut, tent
3Proto-West Germanic*kobō—
4Proto-Germanickubôshed, hut; originally "wattle shed"

Words derived from “Kobold”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →