An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Pfütze

by Friedrich Kluge

Pfütze, feminine, ‘puddle, slough,’ from Middle High German pfütze, feminine, ‘pool, puddle, well,’ Old High German (Middle German) pfuzzi, pfuzza (Upper German), buzza, feminine; corresponding to Old Low German putti, ‘well,’ Dutch put, ‘well, puddle,’ Anglo-Saxon pytt, ‘well, pit,’ English pit. The permutation of Low German t to zz, and the diffusion of the word throughout West Teutonic, proves the existence of the cognates in Germany in the 6th or 7th century; yet Upper German buzza seems to be a recently borrowed term. The word is based on Latin puteus, ‘well, cistern,’ whence also Italian pozzo, ‘draw-well,’ pozza, ‘puddle, pool,’ French puits, ‘well’; likewise Old Irish cuithe, Welsh peten, ‘well.’