An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Eidechse

by Friedrich Kluge

Eidechse, f., from the equiv. MidHG. ęgedëhse, OHG. ęgidëhsa, f., ‘lizard’; like Eichhorn, the word has been corrupted in various ways in the other languages of the West Teut. group, so that it is impossible to discover its primary meaning. Du. haagdis, hagedis, ‘lizard,’ is based on haag, ‘hedge,’ in MidDu. eggedisse; AS. âþëxe, whence E. ask, asker, ‘water-newt,’ is altogether obscure. The component OHG. -dëhsa, AS. -þëxe (to use Echsen, ‘lizards,’ in natural history as an equiv. term for Saurier, ‘Saurians,’ is a mistake due to a wrong derivation), may be connected with the Aryan root teks, ‘to make,’ which appears in Dachs; OHG. ęgi-dëhsa, lit. ‘one who inspires fear’?. Comp. OHG. ęgi, Goth. agis, ‘fear,’ primit. cognate with Gr. ἄχος, ‘pain, sadness.’