Where does “catty-cornered” come from?

catty-cornered (English) comes from English catty-corner, from English cater-corner, from English cater-cornered, from English cater, from Middle English catour, from Middle English acatour, from Old French acheter, from Vulgar Latin accaptare — in.

catty-cornered (English): cater-corner

Definitions

  1. cater-corner

Ancestry of “catty-cornered”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishcatty-cornerSynonym of cater-corner: diagonally across from;...
2Englishcater-cornerOf or pertaining to something at a diagonal to...
3Englishcater-corneredAlternative form of cater-corner
4EnglishcaterTo provide, "particularly:"; Synonym of acater:...
5Middle Englishcatouracater, provisioner
6Middle Englishacatouracater
7Old Frenchacheterto purchase; buy
8Vulgar Latinaccaptare
9Latinacceptōto take, receive, accept (regularly)
10Latinaccipiōto receive, accept, take
11Latinad-to; usually prefixed to verbs, in which cases it...
12Latinīn-un-, non-, not
13Latinînin, at, on, upon, from (space)
14Latinenlookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ
15Proto-Italicenin
16Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁énin
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁én
catty-cornered — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer