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The term "snorkel" is related to the German word for snoring.
Back in WW2, U-boats (and pretty much all submarines) needed to surface so that they would be able to run their diesel engines in order to charge their batteries because diesel combustion requires oxygen. One German scientist developed a way to get air without having to surface the boat. As this was a very big tactical advantage it was, obviously top secret. In order to not give away what it was, he referred to it by the sound it made i.e. that of someone snoring.
EDITED with new info from helpful Lemmings.
Alright. I looked it up some more. There's not a lot of information about it out there, tbh.
Germans did coin the term "Schnorchel" for the air pipe in WW2 submarines (although they did not invent it). Which then later was used to refer to the diving equipment.
https://www.dwds.de/wb/Schnorchel
It's derived from "Schnorgel" or "Schnörgel", which is an old northern german slang/word for mouth or snout
What is interesting, as far as I can see, "Schnarchen" isn't even super related to the same root as Schnörgel? And the real origin doesn't seem to be really clear and is being discussed. It seems to be more related to schnarren, which is "making a repetitive rattling sound"
ehh, I'd like to have some source for that. Because I can't find any.
The words "schnorchel" and "schnarchen" don't sound anything alike.
What I can find are some suggestions that with stem from the same germanic root word, but not that one stems from the other
I'm with this guy.
https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=snorkel
Yeah, pretty much what I expected. Related, but not really descended
Ah okay, related but not descended. Thanks for clearing it up. For my part, I had read it in a book years ago about the Battle of the Atlantic. I'm obviously remembering it a bit wrong.