An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Köder
Köder, m., ‘bait.’ The word, on account of its very varied forms and senses, is difficult to explain etymologically, perhaps several words, originally different, have been combined with it; MidHG. köder, koder, këder, korder, körder, kërder, quërder, m., ‘lure, bait, patch of cloth or leather,’ OHG. quërdar also means ‘wick of a lamp’; in ModHG. it signifies, in the various dialects and at different periods, ‘double chin, slime, rag, leather strap, bait.’ With Köder, ‘double chin,’ we may perhaps compare E. cud, AS. cudu, cweodu (Goth. qiþus, ‘belly’?). With the meaning ‘bait,’ Goth. qairrus and HG. kirre may be most closely connected, because quërdar, as the oldest HG. form, points to a Goth. *qaírþra-; with this the Gr. compound δέλεαρ (δελ- for δερ- may be due to a process of differentiation, since a G. form kerdel occurs; and ð, according to Æol. βλῆρ, is perhaps an old guttural, root ger) may be certainly associated, and its variant δέλετρον, which more early corresponds with the G. word; the latter form is usually approved, since it combines the meanings of ‘bait’ and ‘torch’ (corresponding to OHG. quërdar, ‘wick’); in either case E. cud is abnormal. For the other meanings of the G. word no satisfactory etymologies can be found.