Where does “Grubenotter” come from?

Grubenotter (German) comes from German Grube, from Middle High German gruobe, from Middle High German gruoba, from Proto-Germanic grōbō, from Proto-Germanic grabaną, from Proto-Indo-European gʰrābʰ- — to dig, scratch, scrape.

Grubenotter (German): pit viper

Definitions

  1. pit viper

Ancestry of “Grubenotter”, step by step

Grubenotter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Grube

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanGrubepit; mine
2Middle High Germangruobe
3Middle High Germangruoba
4Proto-Germanicgrōbōhole, ditch, pit
5Proto-Germanicgrabanąto dig; to engrave, scratch
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrābʰ-to dig, scratch, scrape

via German otter

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanotterotter
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰrābʰ-Every word from Proto-Germanic grabanąEvery word from Proto-Germanic grōbō