An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Altar

by Friedrich Kluge

Altar, masculine, ‘altar,’ from Middle High German álter, altâre, altœre, under the constant influence of Latin altâre, which forms the base. Compare altâri, álteri, found even in Old High German; the word was introduced by Christianity. Gothic uses hunsla-staþs, literally ‘temple-table’; Anglo-Saxon wîhbed for *wîhbeód sacred table’ (see weihen and Beute).