Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cottontail” come from?

cottontail (English) comes from English Cotton, from Middle English cotoun, from Anglo-Norman cotun, from Middle English coton, from Old French cotoun, from Italian cotone, from Arabic قُطُن, from Arabic قُطْن — cotton.

cottontail (English): A rabbit of any of various species in genus...

Definitions

  1. A rabbit of any of various species in genus...

Ancestry of “cottontail”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCotton—
2Middle Englishcotoun—
3Anglo-Normancotun—
4Middle Englishcoton—
5Old Frenchcotouncotton; a piece of cotton
6Italiancotonecotton; cotton wool
7Arabicقُطُن—
8Arabicقُطْنcotton
Every word from Arabic قُطْن →