Kraut
/kraʊt/noun
A German word for cabbage or herb, also used in English for sauerkraut and, informally and offensively, for a German person.
Did you know?The English ethnic slur arose from the widespread association of German soldiers with sauerkraut during World War I, while German Kraut itself remains a neutral word for herbs and cabbage.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*krūþą
“A herb or plant; the exact deeper origin is uncertain.”
Old High German
OHG
chrūt
“Herb, plant, or cabbage.”
Middle High German
MHG
krūt
“Herb or cabbage.”
16th Century
German
Kraut
“Herb, plant, or cabbage; later especially cabbage used for fermentation.”
19th Century
American English
kraut
“Sauerkraut, and increasingly a colloquial label for a German person.”
Modern English
English
kraut
“Sauerkraut or an offensive informal term for a German person; also used in “Krautrock.””