nædre

Old English

Alternative forms

• nǣddre

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *nadrā, from Proto-Germanic *nadrǭ. Cognate with Old High German natra, Old Norse naðra, Gothic 𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂𐍃 (nadrs).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnæːd.re/

Noun

nǣdre f

1. snake
   • "Gospel of Saint Luke", chapter 10, verse 19

     And nū ic sealde ēow ānweald tō tredenne ofer nǣddran. And snacan and ofer ǣlc fēondes mæġen. And nān þing ēow ne derað...

     And now I gave you power to tread over adders and snakes and over each fiends' force. And no thing harms you.

   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans

     ...for þon hit is nǣdrena ġecynd þæt heora mǣġen ⁊ hiera fēþe bið on heora ribbum swā ōþerra crēopendra wyrma bið on heora fōtum.

     ...for it is the class of snakes whose movement is on their ribs, just as the motion of other creeping reptiles is with their feet.

Declension

Weak:

	singular	plural
nominative	nǣdre	nǣdran
accusative	nǣdran	nǣdran
genitive	nǣdran	nǣdrena
dative	nǣdran	nǣdrum

Derived terms

• nǣderbita (“mongoose”)
• wæternǣdre (“water snake”)

Descendants

• Middle English: nadder [and other forms]
  • English: adder, edder (by rebracketing)
  • Scots: edder