An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Kreis

by Friedrich Kluge

Kreis, masculine, ‘circle, orbit, sphere,’ from Middle High German kreiȥ, masculine, ‘circumference, circuit, division of a country district’; Old High German chreiȥ, pointing to Gothic *kraits, and D, krijt to. Gothic *kreits, Compare Middle High German krîȥen (Middle German), ‘to make a circle.’ The word cannot be traced beyond German; it is not allied to Kranz and Kring. Compare kritzeln.