An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Schnake
Schnake, feminine, ‘gnat, midge,’ from the equivalent Middle High German snâke, masculine and feminine; the sounds point to Old High German *snâko (from the base *snâggo; compare Hafen, from the base *hâggo). The properly Low German schnake, feminine, ‘water-snake,’ is different from this word, and corresponds to English snake, Anglo-Saxon snăcu, ‘snake,’ Old Icelandic snákr, snókr, ‘snake’ (Swedish snok, ‘water-snake’).