An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Krug
Krug (1.), m., ‘jug, pitcher,’ from the equiv. MidHG. kruoc (g), OHG. chruog, m,; corresponding to AS. crôg, crôh, ‘pitcher,’ also ‘bottle.’ Besides these terms, based upon a common form krôga-, there are several words allied in sound and meaning; comp. OSax. krûka, Du. kruik, f., AS. crûce, MidE. crouke; MidHG. krûche, f., ModHG. (dial.) Krauche. AS. crocca (and crohh), MidE. crokke, ‘pitcher,’ Ic. krukka, ‘pot.’ Since it is not improbable that all these terms were borrowed, we may perhaps connect them further with Krause. Their source, however, cannot be assigned, since the corresponding words in the allied languages may also have been borrowed, and are insufficient phonetically to account for the numerous Teut. terms. Some etymologists derive then from Kelt. words such as W. crwc, ‘pail,’ from which Fr. cruche, ‘pitcher,’ may be derived, if it is not of G. origin. The Goth. term for ‘pitcher’ is aúrkeis (borrowed from Lat. urceus). Comp. Krug (2).
Krug (2.), m., ‘alehouse,’ comp. Du. kroeg; it passed into HG. and Du. from LG., where it is recorded since the 13th cent. The quondam assumption that the word is identical with Krug (1), “because formerly an actual or a carved pitcher was hung in front of a tavern,” is demolished by the fact that Krug, ‘urceus,’ is entirely unknown to LG. (and Du.); the OSax. term krûka was used. On the other hand, Krug, ‘alehouse,’ was orig. wanting in HG., in which Krug, ‘pitcher,’ was current at the earliest period.