Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “oat” come from?

Oat comes from Middle English ote, from Old English āte, from Proto-Germanic aitǭ, from Proto-Indo-European h₁eid-, of uncertain ultimate origin.

oat (English): Widely cultivated cereal grass, typically "Avena...

Definitions

  1. Widely cultivated cereal grass, typically "Avena...

Ancestry of “oat”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishoteThe oat plant; A grain of this plant
2Old Englishāteoat
3Proto-Balticaitā—
4Proto-Germanicaitǭswelling; swelling; gland; nodule
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁eid-to swell

Words derived from “oat”

  • oatcake
  • oater
  • oaty
  • oatbread
  • oatlike
  • oatless
  • โอ๊ต
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁eid- →