Mid 16th century. From a first element of uncertain origin + goose. Compare West Frisian rotgoes, Dutch rotgans, German regional (Low German: Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck) Rottgos, German Rottgans, Old Icelandic hroðgás (one isolated attestation; perhaps a transmission error for *hrotgás; however, compare the Saami forms cited below), Icelandic hrotgaes, showing folk-etymological association with hrot snore, snoring, Norwegian rotgås, Swedish rödgås, early modern Danish radgaas, raagaas, ragaas (Danish rågås); all with a first element that is probably ultimately imitative of the bird's call. Compare also Saami ruođđa (also ruođđe-čuonjá, in which the second element means ‘goose’), ruođa (now the usual form), all denoting the lesser white-fronted goose, Anser erythropus (apparently from early Scandinavian).