Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Kuchen” come from?

Kuchen (German) comes from Middle High German kuoche, from Old High German kuocho, from Proto-Germanic kōkô, from Proto-Indo-European gōg- — round, ball-shaped object; lump; clump.

Ancestry of “Kuchen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germankuoche—
2Old High GermankuochoAlternative spelling of kuohho; cake
3Proto-Germanickōkôcake
4Proto-Indo-Europeangōg-round, ball-shaped object; lump; clump
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gōg- →