An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Futter

by Friedrich Kluge

Futter, n., from the equiv. MidHG. vuoter, OHG. fuotar, n., ‘nourishment, food, fodder, lining, case’; comp. Du. voeder, n. ‘fodder, lining’; AS. fôdor, n. E. fodder; OIc. fóðr, n., ‘fodder’; Goth. fôdr, n., ‘scabbard.’ Two really different words seem to have converged phonetically in this term. Goth. *fôdr, ‘nourishment,’ seems to be connected with AS. fôda, ‘nourishment,’ E. food, Goth. fôdjan, AS. fêdan, E. to feed, and consequently with a Teut. root fôd, fad (comp. OHG. fatunga, ‘nourishment, food’), from Aryan pā̆t, which also appears in Gr. πατέομαι, ‘to eat’; likewise akin to AS. fôstor, ‘maintenance,’ E. to foster, foster-brother, &c. The second, Futter, ‘case,’ Goth. fôdr, ‘sheath,’ has been thought to be allied to Sans. pãtra-m, n., ‘vessel, receptacle.’ The Teut. cognates in both senses found their way into Rom.; comp. Prov. and OFr. fuerre (ModFr. feurre), ‘sheath,’ formed from Goth. fôdr, OHG. fuotar, ‘sheath,’ ModFr. feurre, ‘straw for feeding cattle,’ ModFr. fourreau, ‘case, sheath,’ &c.