кутър

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kutrъ, cognate with Macedonian кутре (kutre, “puppy”), of unclear further origin. Proposed hypotheses include:

• Of onomatopoeic origin, related to the call кут-кут (kut-kut) (for calling up canines or birds), initially referring specifically to puppies or cubs and later generalized to convey smallness. Compare Russian кутёнок (kutjónok, “cub”);
• Derived from the root of dialectal ку́я (kúja, “to hew, to forge”) (with obsolete suffix *-trъ);
• Akin to Iranian terms, among which Persian کوچک (kučak, “small, young”).

Specifically for the figurative meaning “pitiful”, BER also considers possible borrowing from Ancient Greek κούτρα (koútra, “nob”), probably of onomatopoeic origin (cf. κουτός (koutós, “stupid”)).

• IPA^(key):

ку́тър • (kútǎr) (adverb ку́тро, abstract noun ку́трост) (dialectal)

1. tiny, little, small
2. (figurative) pitiful, meagre, wretched

• кутре́ (kutré, “puppy; pinky finger”)
• кутре́ц (kutréc, “puppy, cub”) (dialectal)

• ку́там (kútam), ку́твам (kútvam, “to jostle, to strike”) (dialectal, possibly related, if grammatical in origin)

• “кутри”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• Nayden Gerov (1897) “ку́търъ, -тра, -тро”, in Рѣчникъ на Блъгарскꙑй язꙑкъ. Съ тлъкувание рѣчи-тꙑ на Блъгарскꙑ и на Русскꙑ. [Dictionary of the Bulgarian language]‎ (in Bulgarian), volume 2, Plovdiv: Дружествена печꙗтница "Съгласие.", page 436
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1986), “кутър¹”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 3 (крес¹ – мѝнго¹), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 162