An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Frettchen

by Friedrich Kluge

Frettchen, neuter, ‘little ferret,’ diminutive of an earlier Modern High German Frett, masculine, ‘ferret,’ occurs in Modern High German from Romance; compare Italian furetto, French furet (English ferret), Middle Latin furetum, furetus. ‘ferret,’ which is based upon early Middle Latin furo, ‘polecat,’ equivalent to Latin fur, ‘thief.’