Where does “rat king” come from?
rat king (English) comes from German Rattenkönig, from German könig, from Middle High German künec, from Old High German kuning, from Proto-West Germanic kuning, from Proto-Germanic kuningaz, from Proto-Germanic kunją, from Proto-Indo-European ǵn̥h₁yom — to produce, to beget, to give birth.
rat king (English): A conglomeration of rats whose tails have become...
Definitions
- A conglomeration of rats whose tails have become...
Ancestry of “rat king”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Rattenkönig | rat king |
| 2 | German | könig | king |
| 3 | Middle High German | künec | — |
| 4 | Old High German | kuning | king |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | kuning | king |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | kuningaz | king |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | kunją | kin, family, clan; omen, portent, miracle |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵn̥h₁yom | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |