"class, sort, variety," from O.E.
gecynd "kind, nature, race," related to
cynn "family" (see
kin), from P.Gmc.
*gakundiz (see
kind (adj.)). Ælfric's rendition of "the Book of Genesis" into O.E. came out
gecyndboc. The prefix disappeared 1150-1250. No exact cognates beyond Eng., but it corresponds to adj. endings such as Goth
-kunds, O.H.G.
-kund. Also as a suffix (
mankind, etc.). Other earlier, now obs., senses in Eng. included "character, quality derived from birth" and "manner or way natural or proper to anyone." Use in phrase
a kind of (1591) led to colloquial extension as adv. (1804) in phrases such as
kind of stupid ("a kind of stupid (person)").