Where does “kitten” come from?

Kitten derives from Middle English kitoun, from Middle English cat, from Old English catt, from Proto-Germanic kattuz, from Latin cattus, a word of uncertain ultimate origin referring to the domesticated feline animal.

kitten (English): A young cat, especially before sexual maturity; A...

Definitions

  1. A young cat, especially before sexual maturity; A...

Ancestry of “kitten”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishkitounkitten
2Middle Englishcatcat (feline)
3Old Englishcattcat
4Proto-West Germanic*kattucat

Words derived from “kitten

Every word from Proto-West Germanic *kattu