An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Küche

by Friedrich Kluge

Küche, f., ‘kitchen,’ from the equiv. MidHG. küche, küchen, kuchîn (UpG. without mutation kuche, kuchi), OHG. chúhhī̆na, f.; corresponding to AS. cyčene, f., E. kitchen, Du. keuken. An old West Teut. word, probably not derived immediately from late Lat. coquîna, ‘kitchen,’ but rather from a common Rom. and MidLat. cûcina (kukī̆na; comp. Ital. cucina, Fr. cuisine). The HG. ch (OHG. hh) for c, k, in consequence of the HG. permutation points to the adoption of the term about the 6th cent., at which period the South Europ. arts of cookery and horticulture were introduced into Germany; comp. Koch, Kuchen, Kohl, Kümmel, and Pfeffer.