An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Vater

by Friedrich Kluge

Vater, m., ‘father,’ from the equiv. MidHG. vater, OHG. fater; common to Teut. and Aryan in the same sense; comp. Goth. (rare) fadar (usually atta), OIc. faðer, AS. fœder, E. father, Du. vader, vaar, OSax. fadar. Teut. fadêr, from Aryan patḗr; comp. Lat. pater, Gr. πατήρ, Sans. pitṛ (for patṛ), ‘father.’ Aryan pa-tḗr has been derived from the Sans. root pâ, ‘to guard, protect,’ so that Vater would mean lit. ‘protector.’ An English preacher of the 12th cent. connected the word in a similar way with AS. fêdan, E. to feed (see füttern); hence Vater, lit. ‘nourisher.’ Neither interpretation is historically certain, since Aryan pa-ter is probably based on an instinctive sound (comp. Gr. dial. πᾶ, ‘father,’ πάππα); comp. Mutter, Bruder, and Schwester. For a derivative of Vater see under Vetter, Baas, and Base.