An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Gauch

by Friedrich Kluge

Gauch, m., ‘simpleton, gawk, crow, owl, cuckoo’ (as stupid birds), from MidHG. gouch, m., ‘dolt, fool, simpleton,’ prop. ‘cuckoo,’ OHG. gouh, ‘cuckoo'; corresponding to AS. geác, OIc. gaukr (whence Scotch gowk), ‘cuckoo.’ Is k a suffix as in AS. hafoc, ‘hawk,’ and Goth. ahaks, ‘pigeon’? OHG. gouh, Goth. *gauks, cannot, however, be allied to Lat. cuculus, Sans. kôkila-s, ‘cuckoo,’ since Teut. g initially cannot represent Lat. and Sans. k. Further Gauch is the OTeut. word for the later term Kuckuck.