Cower
Middle English: from Middle Low German kūren ‘lie in wait’, of unknown ultimate origin.
wiktionary
From Middle English cowre, couren, curen, from Middle Low German kûren(“to lie in wait; linger”) or from North Germanic (Icelandic kúra(“to doze”)). Cognate with German kauern(“to squat”), Dutch koeren(“to keep watch (in a cowered position)”), Serbo-Croatian kutriti(“to lie in a bent position”). Unrelated to coward, which is of Latin origin.
cower (third-person singular simple present cowers, present participle cowering, simple past and past participle cowered)
etymonline
cower (v.)
early 14c., "to crouch, squat, or kneel;" late 14c., "to stoop or sink down, especially in fear or shame," probably from Middle Low German *kuren "lie in wait" (Modern German kauern), or similar Scandinavian words meaning "to squat" and "to doze" (such as Old Norse kura, Danish, Norwegian kure, Swedish kura). Thus it is unrelated to coward. Related: Cowered; cowering.
