An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Kerbel

by Friedrich Kluge

Kerbel, masculine, ‘chervil,’ from the equivalent Middle High German kërvele, kërvel, feminine and masculine, Old High German kërvola, kërvela, feminine, ‘a culinary and medicinal herb’; compare Anglo-Saxon čerfille, English chervil. It was probably naturalised in Germany before the Old High German period, and is derived from Latin cœrifolium (χαιρέφυλλον), whence also French cerfeuil, Italian cerfoglio, which were borrowed at a period when the initial c before open vowels was still pronounced k; compare Keller, Kerker, Kaiser, Kreuz, Pech, &c. In the period before the High German permutation of consonants, the Italian art of cookery and horticulture, and with the latter many southern vegetables and herbs, were introduced into Germany; compare Rappes, Pfeffer, Minze, Kohl, and Keller,