Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Otter” come from?

Otter (German) comes from Old High German otter, from Proto-Germanic utraz, from Proto-Indo-European udrós, from Proto-Indo-European wed-, from Proto-Indo-European wey- — to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;...

Otter (German): otter; adder; viper

Definitions

  1. otter; adder; viper

Ancestry of “Otter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanotter—
2Proto-Germanicutrazotter
3Proto-Indo-Europeanudrósof water, aquatic
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwed-water
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwey-to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;...

Words derived from “Otter”

  • Korallenotter
  • Fischotter
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wey- →