ADDER, a name for the common viper ( Vipera cevus), ranging ' from Wales to Saghalien island, and from Caithness to the north ' of Spain. The puff-adder (Bitis s. Echidna arietans) of ' nearly the whole of Africa, and the death-adder (Acanthophis ' antarcticus) from Australia to the Moluccas, are both very ' poisonous (see VIPER). The word was in Old Eng. noedre, ' later nadder or naddre; in the 14th century "a nadder" ' was, like "a napron," wrongly divided into "an adder." It ' appears with the generic meaning of "serpent" in the older ' forms of many Teutonic languages, cf. Old High Ger. natra; ' Goth. nadrs. It is thus used in the Old Eng. version of ' the Scriptures for the devil, the "serpent" of Genesis. ' ' |
An adder is a name for the common viper? (Vipera cevus), ranging from Wales to Saghalien island, and from Caithness to the north of Spain. The puff-adder (Bitis s. Echidna arietans) of nearly the whole of Africa, and the death-adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) from Australia to the Moluccas, are both very poisonous (see VIPER). The word was in Old Eng. noedre, later nadder or naddre; in the 14th century a nadder was, like a napron, wrongly divided into an adder. It appears with the generic meaning of serpent? in the older forms of many Teutonic languages, cf. Old High Ger. natra; Goth. nadrs. It is thus used in the Old Eng. version of the Scriptures for the devil, the serpent of Genesis. |
Initial text from 1911 encyclopedia -- Please update as needed |
Initial text from 1911 encyclopedia -- Please update as needed |