k

K < ancient greek κάππα | kappa < phoenician kaph (= hollow of the hand).

kaleidoscope < ancient greek καλός | kalos (= beautiful) + είδος | oedhos (= form, shape) + σκοπός | scopos (= watcher) (< σκέπτομαι | skeptomae (= watch, examine, think)).

kamikaze < japanese kamikaze (= divine wind) < kami (= god, providence) + kaze (= wind) [it was the name of a typhoon which saved Japan from Mongol invasion in 1281].

kangaroo < (?) 1. aboriginal ganurru (= large kangaroo) or 2. aboriginal ka guro (= I don’t know) [the answer of an Aboriginal of Australia, when the explorer captain J. Cook asked him about the name of this animal].

kaolin < french kaolin < chinese Kaoling / Gaoling, a mountain < chinese gao (= high) + ling (= mountain, hill).

kaput < german kaputt (= destroyed, ruined, lost) < (?) a misunderstanding of the phrase capot [machen] (from card-playing) < a partial translation of french [faire] capot (= to win all the tricks) [in a card game].

karaoke < japanese karaoke < kara (= empty) + oke (= orchestra) (< a shortening of okesutora < english orchestra < latin orchestra < ancient greek ορχήστρα | orkhēstra < ορχούμαι | orkhoumae (= to dance)).

karate < japanese karate (= empty hand, unarmed hand) < kara (= empty) + te (= hand).

Karen < danish Karen < a shortening of Katherine (q.v.).

karma < sanskrit karma (= action, work, fate) < I.E. *kwer- (= make, form).

Kashmir < Cashmere < sanskrit Kashypamara (= land of Kashyap).

Kate < a shortening of Katherine (q.v.).

Katherine < Catherine < french Catherine [(?) by influence of folk etymology from ancient greek καθαρός | katharos (= pure)] < medieval latin Katerina < latin Ecaterina < ancient greek Αικατερίνη | Aekaterinē.

Kathmandu < nepalese Kathmandu < kath (= wooden) + mandu (= temple).

kayak < kajak < danish kajak < eskimo (of Greenland) qayaq (= small boat of skins).

Kayla < Kay < a shortening of Katherine (q.v.).

Kazakhstan < Kazakh (< turkic kazak (= nomad)) + iranian -stan (= country, land).

kebab < armenian [shish] kabab < turkish siskebap < sis (= skewer) + kebap (= roast meat).

keep < middle english kēpen < old english cepan (= seize, hold, look out for) < proto-germanic *kopjan.

Kelly < irish Kelly < old irish ceallach (= war).

Kennedy < irish Kennedy < (?) old Irish cinneide (= ugly head).

kennel < middle english kennel < anglo-french *kenil / french chenil < vulgar latin *canile < latin canis (= dog) < I.E. *kwon- (= dog).

Kenneth < scottish Kenneth < gaelic Caioneach (= handsome, comely).

Kenya < (?) a shortening of [Kikuyu] Kirinyaga [a name for the high mountain Kenya, which is snowcapped at the top] < kere nyaga (= white mountain).

kerchief < middle english kovrechief (= cloth to cover the head) < anglo-french courchief / old french couvrechief (= cover head) < couvrir (= to cover) + chief (= head) (< latin caput (= head)).

kernel < old english cyrnel (= seed, grain, kernel) < proto-germanic *kurnilo- < I.E. *gre-no- (= grain).

kerosene < ancient greek κηρός | kēros (= wax) + [suffix] -ene.

ketchup < malay kichap < chinese koechiap / kejap (= sauce for fish) < qie (= eggplant) + chi (= juice, sauce).

key < middle english keie < old english cæg (= solution, explanation, key).

K.G.B. < an acronym) of russian Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (= Committee for State Security).

khaki < urdu khaki (= dusty) < khak (= dust) < persian source.

khan < turkish khan (= lord, prince) < 1. khaqan (= ruler, sovereign) or 2. mongolian hān (= ruler, khan).

kick < middle english kick < (?) old norse kikna (= bend backwards, sink at the knees).

kid < middle english kid (= the young of a goat) < proto-germanic *kidjom.

kidnap < kid (= child) + nap (= snatch away) (< nab (= seixe suddenly)).

kill < middle english kill < (?) old english cwellan (= kill, murder, execute) < proto-germanic *kwaljanan < I.E. *gwele- (= throw, reach).

kilo < a shortening of kilogram < french kilogramme < kilo- (< ancient greek χίλιοι | khilioe (= 1000)) + late latin gramma (= small weight) (< ancient greek γράμμα | ghramma (= letter, small weight) < γράφω | ghraphō (= speak, draw)).

kilt < quelt < middle english kilten (= to tuck up) < scandinavian source.

kin < old english cynn (= kind, nature, family, race) < proto-germanic *kunja (= family) < I.E. *gene- (= give birth)

kind < old english gecynd (= kind, nature, family, race) < proto-germanic *kundjaz (= family, race) < I.E. *gene- (= give birth).

kindergarten < german Kinder-Garten (= children-garden) < Kinder, plural of Kind (= child) (< proto-germanic *kundjaz (= family, race)) + Garten (= garden) (< vulgar latin *gardinus [hortus] (= enclosed [kitchen garden]) < frankish *gardo < proto-germanic *gardan- (= enclose)).

kinematics < french cinématique [1834] < ancient greek κίνημα | kinēma [gen. κινήματος | kinēmatos] (= movement, motion) (< κινώ | kinō (= to move).

kinetic < ancient greek κινητικός | kinētikos (= moving, of motion) < κινητός | kinētos (= mobile, movable) < κινώ | kinō (= to move).

king < old english king < cyning (= king, ruler) < proto-germanic *kuningaz {> old norse konungr, danish konge, dutch koning, old high german kuning, german König}.

kink < dutch kink (= twist in a rope).

kiosk < french kiosque < turkish koshk / kiöshk (= pavilion, summer house) < persian kushk (= palace, villa, pavilion).

kiss < old english cyssan (= to touch with the lips) < proto-germanic *kussjan {> norwegian kyssa, swedish kyssa, danish kysse, dutch kussen, german küssen} < *kuss- < (?) imitative origin.

kit < middle english kit (= round wooden tub) < (?) middle dutch kitte (= jug, tankard, wooden container).

kitchen < middle english kitchen < old english cycene (= kitchen) < proto-germanic *kokina {> danish kjøkken, middle dutch cökene, old high german chuhhina, german Küche} < (?) vulgar latin *cocina {> italian cucina, french cuisine, spanish cocina} < latin coquina (= kitchen) < coquina, female of coquinus (= of cooks) < coquus (= a cook) < coquo [inf. coquere] (= to cook).

kitsch < german kitsch (= gaudy, trash) < [dialectal] kitschen (= to smear).

kitten < middle english kitoun (= the young of a domestic cat) < old french chaton / chitoun (= little cat) < a diminutive of chat (= cat) < proto-germanic *kattuz < late latin cattus (= cat).

kitty < kitten (q.v.) [(?) by influence of kitty (= girl, young woman) < Catherine (see Katherine)].

kiwi < maori kiwi < imitative origin.

kleptomania < ancient greek κλέπτης | kleptēs (= thief) (< κλέπτω | kleptō (= to steal)) + late latin mania (< ancient greek μανία | mania (= fury, madness) < μαίνομαι | maenomae (= to rage, go mad)).

knee < old english cneo / cneow (= knee) < proto-germanic *knewa- {> old norse kne, dutch knie, german Knie} < I.E. *genu-₍₁₎ (= knee. angle).

knife < old english cnif < (?) old norse knifr (= knife, dirk) < proto-germanic *knibaz {> middle dutch cnijf, german kneif}.

knight < old english cniht (= boy, youth, servant, attendant) < germanic source [cf. dutch knecht, middle high german kneht, german Knecht].

knob < middle english knobe < scandinavian / german source.

knock < old english cnocian (= to pound, beat, knock on a door) < imitative origin.

knot < old english cnotta < proto-germanic *knuttan- {> dutch knot, old high german knoto, german Knoten}.

know < old english cnawan < proto-germanic *knew- < I.E. *gno- (= to know).

knowledge < middle english cnawlece < know (q.v.) + -ledge (< (?) scandinavian source [cf. -lock (= action, process)].

koala < aboriginal [of Australia] koola kul(l)a.

Koran < arabic qur’an (= a reading, recitation, book) < quara-a (= he read, he recited).

Korea < chinese Gao li (= high serenity), a name of a dynasty.

Kremlin < Cremelena < old russian kremlin < kremlinu < kreml’ (= citadel, fortress) < (?) tartar origin.

krypton < ancient greek κρυπτόν | krypton, neuter of κρυπτός | kryptos (= hidden) [so called because this chemical element remained undiscovered for a long time] < κρύπτω | kryptō (= hide).

kung fu < chinese gongfu (= skillness) < quan fa (= principal of boxing).

Kuwait < arabic al-kuwayt < al (= the) + kuwayt, a diminutive of kut (= a kind of fortress-like house) < (?) persian origin.

Kyoto < japanese Kyoto < kyo + to (= capital).

Kyrie eleison < middle english Kyrie eleison < late latin Kyrie eleison (= Lord have mercy) [a greek liturgical phrase of the latin Mass] < ancient greek κύριε | kyrie, vocative of κύριος | kyrios (= lord, master) + ελέησον | eleēson, imperative of past tense of ελεώ | eleō (= have pity on, show mercy to) (< έλεος | eleos (= pity, mercy)).