An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Dachs
Dachs, masculine, ‘badger,’ from the equivalent Middle High German dahs, Old High German dahs, masculine; undoubtedly a genuine Teutonic word, like Fuchs, Bachs, though it cannot be authenticated in the non-German languages (Dutch and Low German das). It was adopted by Romance (Middle Latin taxus, Italian tasso, French taisson). It is probable that the animal, specially characterised by its winter burrow, received its name from the Aryan root teks, ‘to construct.’ In Old Indian the root takš properly signifies ‘to construct skilfully, make, build’ (a carriage, pillars of an altar, a settle), while the name of the agent formed from it — takšan — denotes ‘carpenter, worker in wood.’ To the same root belong Greek τόξον, ‘bow,’ τέκτων, ‘carpenter’; in Teutonic also Old High German dëhsala, Middle High German dëhsel, ‘hatchet, axe.’