kuchen (Spanish)
Where does "kuchen" come from?
The Spanish word 'kuchen' is an unadapted borrowing from the German term for cake, which traces its lineage back to the Old High German 'kuohho' and the Proto-Germanic '*kōkô'. Likely originating as a sound-symbolic word for a lump or round object, this term shares a common ancestry with the word 'quiche'. It remains a culinary loanword in Spanish, specifically referring to cakes made with fruit.
Full etymology tree
- kuchen (Spanish), 'cake, especially made with fruit'
- borrowed Kuchen (German), 'pie; cake; tart (foodstuff made of baked dough, other than bread)'
- inherited kuoche (Middle High German)
- inherited kuohho (Old High German), 'cake; pie'
- inherited *kōkô (Proto-Germanic), 'cake'
- inherited kuohho (Old High German), 'cake; pie'
- inherited kuoche (Middle High German)
- borrowed Kuchen (German), 'pie; cake; tart (foodstuff made of baked dough, other than bread)'
Ancestors
- Kuchen (German)
Cognates and doublets
- quiche (Spanish)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris