An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/kauen

by Friedrich Kluge

kauen, vb., ‘to chew,’ from the equiv. MidHG. kûwen, kiuwen, OHG. chiuwan; ModHG. au and MidHG. û in this word compared with äu in wiederkäuen is properly MidG. merely. It corresponds to AS. ceóuwan, E. to chew, and the equiv. Du. kaauwen. The verb, which is based on a Teut. root këw, ku, pre-Teut. gew, is wanting in Goth.; comp. OSlov. žĭvą, žują, žĭvati, ‘to chew.’ The Aryan root is gjū̆, gī̆w, ‘to chew’; see Rieme. Gr. γεύομαι for γεύσομας is totally unconnected with HG. kauen, being allied to kosten.