An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/ander

by Friedrich Kluge

ander, adj., ‘other, different, second,’ from MidHG. ander, OHG. andar, ‘the other’; it corresponds to Goth. anþar, ‘the other,’ OIc. annarr, AS. ôðer, E. other, Du. ander, OSax. âðar, ôðar. The meanings ‘the second, one of two, the other,’ are due to a comparative form (Aryan ánteros, ‘one of two,’ Lat. alter). Comp. the corresponding Sans. ántara-, ‘different from,’ Osset. ändär, ‘otherwise than, with the exception of,’ Lith. àntras, ‘the other.’ The root an- is proved by Sans. and Zend an-ya-, ‘another.’ With OHG. andar ‘other,’ is also connected OHG. antarôn, ‘to imitate.’