An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Natter

by Friedrich Kluge

Natter, feminine, ‘adder, viper, asp,’ from the equivalent Middle High German nâter, nâtere, Old High German nâtara, feminine; corresponding to Old Saxon nâdra, Dutch adder (for nadder; see under Nabe, Näber), Anglo-Saxon nœ̂ddre, English adder (likewise, with the loss of the initial n, see Otter). Gothic *nêdro is wanting, the graded form nadrs, masculine, ‘adder,’ being used; Old Icelandic naðr, naðra, ‘adder.’ A specifically Teutonic word, the early history of which is not quite clear; it can scarcely be connected with Latin natrix, ‘water-snake,’ which belongs to nare, natare, ‘to swim.’