An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Marter

by Friedrich Kluge

Marter, feminine, ‘torture, rack,’ from Middle High German marter, martere, feminine, originally ‘martyrdom,’ especially ‘the Passion,’ then ‘torture, torment, persecution, rack,’ Old High German martira, martara, feminine (also with l, Old High German martela, Middle High German martel); formed from Greek and Latin martyrium. The derivative Märtyrer is from Middle High German męrterer, marterer, Old High German martirâri, ‘martyr,’ for which the forms martir, martyr, equivalent to Latin-Greek martyr, ‘martyr for the truth of Christianity,’ rarely occur. The Eccles. Latin meaning ‘torture,’ which is foreign to Greek, is found also in the Romance cognates of martyrium. Compare Italian martirio, French martyre.