Where does “ratfuck” come from?

ratfuck (English) comes from English rat, from Middle English raat, from Old English ræt, from Old English rætt, from Proto-Germanic rattaz, from Proto-Indo-European Hreh₃d- — to scrape.

ratfuck (English): To steal or disorganize items that do not belong...

Definitions

  1. To steal or disorganize items that do not belong...

Ancestry of “ratfuck”, step by step

ratfuck traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English rat

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishratA medium-sized rodent belonging to the genus...
2Middle EnglishraatAlternative form of ratte
3Old EnglishrætAlternative form of rætt
4Old Englishrættrat
5Proto-Germanicrattazrat
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanHreh₃d-to scrape

via English fuck

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfuckTo have sexual intercourse, to copulate; To have...
2Middle Englishfukkento fuck; to beat, strike
3Old Norsefukka—
4Proto-Germanicfukkōnąto blow, gust; to strike, assail; to copulate
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpewǵ-to punch, fist-fight; to prick, poke, stab

Words derived from “ratfuck”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European Hreh₃d- →Every word from Proto-Germanic rattaz →Every word from Old English rætt →