An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Katze

by Friedrich Kluge

Katze, f., ‘cat,’ from the equiv. MidHG. katze, OHG. chazza, f.; a common Europ. word in the Mid. Ages and in modern times; of obscure origin. Comp. also AS. catt, m., E. cat; OIc. kǫttr, m. These assume Goth. *katta, *kattus. Early MidLat. cattus and its Rom. derivatives (Ital. gatto, Fr. chat), Ir. and Gael. cat, m., and Slav. kotǔ, ‘tom-cat,’ Lith. katě, ‘cat', kátinas, ‘tom-cat’ (allied to Serv. kotiti, ‘to litter,’ &c., kot, ‘brood, litter’), suggest the possibility that the Teut. term was borrowed from a neighbouring race after the period of the Teut. substitution of consonants, at latest a century before or after the migration of the tribes. It is a remarkable fact, however, that G. retains a prim. and independent masc. form of the word in Kater (Goth. *kaduza?), which also occurs in Du. and LG. kater (comp. E. caterwaul).