nadder or adder?

[muscardinus]

I was reading a book today that said the original spelling of adder was nadder.

Apparently, people would once have referred to "a nadder" but down the centuries this changed and came to be "an adder". Is this true? I like the word "nadder" so would love it to be, but is there anyone who could put me right on this?

Maybe it's a bit of an obscure question but I'm curious...

Oh, and the book in question is Posh: Port Out and Starboard Home, by Michael Quinion. As the title suggests, it's about the origins of words and phrases.

[Deer Stalker]

I have heard the same muscardinus.

[thunder]

Originally Posted by muscardinus

I was reading a book today that said the original spelling of adder was nadder.

Apparently, people would once have referred to "a nadder" but down the centuries this changed and came to be "an adder". Is this true? I like the word "nadder" so would love it to be, but is there anyone who could put me right on this?

Maybe it's a bit of an obscure question but I'm curious...

Oh, and the book in question is Posh: Port Out and Starboard Home, by Michael Quinion. As the title suggests, it's about the origins of words and phrases.

You can safely believe this - Michael Quinion would not make a mistake about something like that. Many books on reptiles refer to this as well.

henrya

[tcvarlh]

Germanic root word is Natter = Nadder
The word has been adapted by the process of English AN-aeiou. So yes, the book is correct.
The non-poisonous snakes in the German speaking area are still called OTTER. Our Otter has the same name because the church allowed people to eat fish and snakes on Holy Days, the Otter swims in water, has a snake-like tail, ergo, according to the early catholic church it's a snake or fish and could be eaten.
The germans make certain which is which be calling Otter=Fischotter and the snake just Otter. confused?
What they taste like is anyone guess and I don't fancy the idea myself, but different strokes...
Viper comes from the French word for the same snake, or any toxic snake.

[aeshna5]

Remarkable what you can learn here on WAB! I certainly wasn't aware that it used to be nadder- fascinating stuff.

[Hedge Witch]

Originally Posted by tcvarlh

Germanic root word is Natter = Nadder
The word has been adapted by the process of English AN-aeiou. So yes, the book is correct.
The non-poisonous snakes in the German speaking area are still called OTTER. Our Otter has the same name because the church allowed people to eat fish and snakes on Holy Days, the Otter swims in water, has a snake-like tail, ergo, according to the early catholic church it's a snake or fish and could be eaten.
The germans make certain which is which be calling Otter=Fischotter and the snake just Otter. confused?
What they taste like is anyone guess and I don't fancy the idea myself, but different strokes...
Viper comes from the French word for the same snake, or any toxic snake.

Blimey, informative stuff.

[ellen h]

I was told once that butterfly was originally flutterby-if not it should be,perfect description of lovely insects!!

Also that wasps were called wopsies?
Cant remember who told me that,may have been winding me up.Sure someone can verify or otherwise
ellen

[Hedge Witch]

Wopsies are what Hampshire folk used to call wasps, I believe.

[Hedge Witch]

Here we go, Ellen :

An erroneous etymology claims that the word butterfly came from a metathesis of "flutterby"; however, the Old English word was buttorfleoge and a similar word occurs in Dutch, apparently because butterflies were thought to steal milk.

[Al Hyde]

I've never heard this before, interesting stuff