An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Maulwurf

by Friedrich Kluge

Maulwurf, m., from the equiv. MidHG. môltwërf, moltwërfe, m., ‘mole,’ lit. ‘the animal that throws up the soil’ (MidHG. molte, f.). The ModHG. form is a corruption of the MidHG. word, which is recorded even in the MidHG. and OHG. periods in various forms (MidHG. mûwërf, mûlwërf, mûlwëlf, mûrwërf). Other ModHG. corrupt forms are the dial. Moltwurm, Maulwurm, and Maulwolf. OHG. moltwerf, multwurf, m., ‘mole,’ are connected with MidHG. molte, f., molt, m., ‘dust, mould, soil,’ OHG. molta, f., molt, m.; comp. Goth. mulda, f., ‘dust, mould,’ AS. molde, E. mould; prop. a fem. subst. from the partic. formed with da- from the root mal, ‘to crush, pulverise,’ hence mul-da; comp. falt, alt, laut, and zart. In MidE. also moldwerp, ‘mole’ occurs; of this MidE. mole, Du., Westph., and Fris. mol are shortened forms?. These, however, are probably independent forms from the root mal. Another name for mole appears in OHG. scëro, MidHG. schër, Suab. and Alem. Schärmaus.