Etymology Dictionary

KILDERKIN,  a liquid measure of 18 gallons.  (Du.)   In Levins, ed. 1570; spelt kylderkin.   'Take a kilderkin... of 4 gallons of beer;' Bacon, Nat. Hist., § 46.   The size of the measure appears to have varied.   A corruption (by change of the liquid n to l) of O. Du. kindeken.   Kilian gives:  'Kindeken, kinneken, the eighth part of a vat, the same as kinnetje.'   In mod. Du., kinnetje means 'a firkin,' which in English measure is only half a kilderkin.   β. The name was obviously given because it is only a small measure as compared with barrels, vats, or tuns.   The lit. sense is 'little child.'   'Kindeken, a little child;' Sewel.   Formed, with dimin. suffix -ken (= E. -kin = G. -chen), from Du. kind, a child, cognate with E. child; see Child.   So also kinnetje = kind-etje, with the common Du. double dimin. suffix -tje. [†]

ADDENDA

The word occurs as early as 1410; 'a kylderkyn of ale;' Fifty Earliest Eng. Wills, ed. Furnivall, p. 17, l. 16.   See note to Firkin.