Zotte

German

Etymology

From Middle High German zote, from Old High German zota (alongside zoto m), from a Proto-Germanic *tud-. Immediately comparable with Dutch tod, English tod (“bush, flock”), and perhaps Old Norse toddi (“piece”). Also related with Old High German zata, zato (“flock”), Old Norse taða (“manured meadow”), from Proto-Germanic *tadǭ. Probably from the root Proto-Indo-European *deh₂- (“to split, cut, divide”).[1][2] Lack of lengthening before -t- is regular in Upper German, so there is no need to assume ideophonic gemination (though this is possible). A Central German doublet is Zote (“dirty joke”), which see.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈt͡sɔtə/
  • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):(file)

Noun

Zotte f (genitive Zotte, plural Zotten)

  1. a flock of hair or fur clotted by moisture, dirt etc.
    Synonym: Zottel
    Der Eisbär stieg aus dem Wasser und schüttelte seine nassen Zotten.
    The polar bear got out of the water and shook his wet fur.
    • 1883–1885, Friedrich Nietzsche, “Von den berühmten Weisen”, in Also sprach Zarathustra […] [Thus Spoke Zarathustra]‎[2], Zweiter Theil:
      Das Fell des Raubthiers, das buntgefleckte, und die Zotten des Forschenden, Suchenden, Erobernden!
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

Declension of Zotte [feminine]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative eine die Zotte die Zotten
genitive einer der Zotte der Zotten
dative einer der Zotte den Zotten
accusative eine die Zotte die Zotten

Derived terms

References

  1. ^ Vladimir Orel (2003), “*tađōn”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 398
  2. ^ “Zotte” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Further reading

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