An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Dotter

by Friedrich Kluge

Dotter (1.), masculine and neuter, ‘yolk,’ from the equivalent Middle High German toter, Old High German totoro, tutar-ei; the Modern High German word seems to have a Low German initial sound. Corresponds to Old Saxon dŏdro, Dutch dojer, Anglo-Saxon dydring, ‘yolk’; a pre-Teutonic term for the ‘yolk of an egg’ (see also Ei). Anglo-Saxon dott, masculine, ‘point, spot,’ English dot are, on account of Low German dott, dötte, ‘yellow part of the egg,’ to be derived from the same Aryan stem dhut; the original sense of Dotter may lave been, therefore, ‘point in the egg.’ The English term yolk, Anglo-Saxon geolca, is literally ‘yellow part,’ from Anglo-Saxon geolo, equivalent to English yellow. In Old Icelandic blóme, ‘yolk.’

Dotter (2.), masculine, from the equivalent Middle High German toter, masculine, ‘gold-pleasure’; compare Middle English doder, English dodder (‘toad-flax’); Danish dǫdder, Swedish dǫdra. Perhaps allied to Dotter (1.), so that the plant was named from its colour (or from the similarity of its seeds to the yolk of an egg?).