An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Kirsche

by Friedrich Kluge

Kirsche, f., from the equiv. MidHG. kirse, kërse (Alem. chriesi), f., ‘cherry’ (for the change of s into sch comp. Arsch and Hirsch). OHG. chirsa (*chirissa), f., is certainly not derived from Lat. cerasum, but, like the cognate Rom. words, from ceręsia (prop. n. plur. of the adj. ceraseus?. Comp. Gr. κεράσιον, ‘cherry,’ κερασία, κερασέα, ‘cherry tree’), only with a Teut. accent; the Alem. form Kriese (from the prim. form krêsia, which perhaps appears also in Istrian kriss and Serv. kriješa), like Kirsche, is based too on the common primit. form with the Rom. accent; MidLat. *cerę́sea (Ital. ciregia, Fr. cerise); comp. also OSlov. črěšĭnja (primit. Slav. *čers-, from *kers-?). The adoption of the word by HG. occurred before the 7th cent., as is shown by the preservation of the initial c as k in HG. For a discussion of the period at which the word was borrowed, and of the gender of the Southern terms for fruit, see Pflaume.