An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/schnarchen

by Friedrich Kluge

schnarchen, vb., ‘to snore, snort,’ from the equiv. MidHG. snarchen, snarcheln; allied to MidHG. snarren, ‘to rattle, crash,’ like hor-chen to hören. Comp. Du. snorken, ‘to snore, chatter, boast’; also MidE. snun-ten, ‘to snore,’ with a different intensive suffix, E. to snort (comp. MidHG. snar-z, ‘twittering of the swallow,’ also an abusive epithet), and without a suffix MidE. snorin (AS. *snorian), E. to snore. From the root snar numerous terms have been formed in imitation of sound (see also schnarren and schnurren); comp. Du. snorren, ‘to hum, whiz, chirp,’ E. to snarl, and snurls, ‘nostrils,’ and in the non-Teut. languages perhaps Lith. snarglýs, ‘snot.’