Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “vatter” come from?

vatter (Middle High German) comes from Old High German fater, from Proto-West Germanic fader, from Proto-Germanic fadēr, from Proto-Indo-European ph₂tḗr, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.

Ancestry of “vatter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanfater—
2Proto-West Germanicfaderfather
3Proto-Germanicfadērfather
4Proto-Indo-Europeanph₂tḗrfather
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂-to protect; to shepherd

Words derived from “vatter”

  • fater
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- →