An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/kommen

by Friedrich Kluge

kommen, vb., from the equiv. MidHG. komen, OHG. chuëman, ‘to come,’ a common Teut. vb. The proper form of the initial k is qu, as is proved by ModHG. bequem, and hence OHG. quëman is the base; the w of an initial hw is frequently suppressed in HG. (comp. keck and kirr) before e and o (not before a). Goth. qiman, AS. cuman, E. to come, OSax. cuman, OIc. koma. The prim. Teut. vb. qeman, ‘to come,’ thus deduced has a remoter history; it is identical with the Ind. and Zend root gam, ‘to come,’ and allied to Lat. vĕnio for *gvĕmio, Gr. βαίνω for *βανjω (for *gvĕmiô); comp. bequem and Kunst. The assumed Aryan root is gem. The evolution of a v after the g is normal; comp. Goth. qinô with Gr. γυνή and Ind. gnã (*gánâ), ‘woman’; Goth. qiwa-, Lat. vivus (Gr. βίος, subst.), Ind. jîvá (see keck; comp. the similar evolution of a kv akin to Teut. hw from Aryan k under wer and welcher).