An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Zote

by Friedrich Kluge

Zote, f., ‘obscenity,’ ModHG. only; of obscure origin, but certainly a loan-word. It is most probably connected with Fr. sotie, sottie, ‘obscene farce’ (in the carnival plays obscenity is the main element), Fr. sottise, ‘abusive language, indecency,’ from Fr. sot, ‘blockhead,’ Span. and Port. zote, ‘booby.’ With these are connected Ital. zotico, ‘coarse, uncouth’ (comp. Ital. zotichezza, ‘coarseness,’ zoticacco, ‘uncouth, clownish’; they are not derived from Lat. exoticus (Lat. x is never equiv. to Rom. z). Comp. further AS. and E. sot, Du. sot, and Ir. suthan, ‘blockhead,’ sotaire, ‘fop.’