An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Vater

by Friedrich Kluge

Vater, masculine, ‘father,’ from the equivalent Middle High German vater, Old High German fater; common to Teutonic and Aryan in the same sense; compare Gothic (rare) fadar (usually atta), Old Icelandic faðer, Anglo-Saxon fœder, English father, Dutch vader, vaar, Old Saxon fadar. Teutonic fadêr, from Aryan patḗr; compare Latin pater, Greek πατήρ, Sanscrit pitṛ (for patṛ), ‘father.’ Aryan pa-tḗr has been derived from the Sanscrit root pâ, ‘to guard, protect,’ so that Vater would mean literally ‘protector.’ An English preacher of the 12th century connected the word in a similar way with Anglo-Saxon fêdan, English to feed (see füttern); hence Vater, literally ‘nourisher.’ Neither interpretation is historically certain, since Aryan pa-ter is probably based on an instinctive sound (compare Greek dialectic πᾶ, ‘father,’ πάππα); compare Mutter, Bruder, and Schwester. For a derivative of Vater see under Vetter, Baas, and Base.