English
otter
Otter comes from Middle English oter ‘an otter’, from Proto-Indo-European *udrós ‘aquatic, water-animal’, and ultimately from *wed-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wed-‘water’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*udrós‘aquatic, water-animal’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*utrazreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*otrreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150otor
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500oter‘an otter’
- Englishearliest quotation 1960otter
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wed-‘water’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*udrós‘aquatic, water-animal’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*utrazreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*otrreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150otor
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500oter‘an otter’
- Englishearliest quotation 1960otter
Earliest quotation: 1960, Scott O'Dell, Island of the Blue Dolphins: “'The Aleuts come from a country far to the…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wed- ‘water’
water, wet, wash, und, abundance, vodka, surround, abundant, hydro, redundant, vitriol, hydrate, hydride, vitreous, aldehyde, vedra, undine, inundate, 44 more
Today it means
noun An aquatic or marine carnivorous mammal in the subfamily Lutrinae.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wed- / otter