An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Kauz

by Friedrich Kluge

Kauz, masculine, ‘screech-owl,’ from the equivalent Middle High German kûtze, kûtz, masculine (rarely occurs); in Old High German as well as in the other Old Teutonic dialects the word is wanting, therefore it is difficult to determine its Gothic form. We might assume Gothic *kutts or *kûdna; the first partly suggests Greek βῦζα, ‘owl’ (for gûdja? β as in βαίνα, ‘to go,’ βύσσος, ‘fine flax, equivalent to Modern High German Kaute). Moreover, Modern High German pet names for birds are formed ending in tz, Spatz, Stieglitz, Kiebitz; hence Kau-ze may have to be divided, and thus Greek βύας, ‘owl,’ would be most closely connected with Teutonic kau, kû.