Where does “ratling” come from?
ratling (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.
ratling (English): a small rat; a baby rat; Alternative form of...
Definitions
- a small rat; a baby rat; Alternative form of...
Ancestry of “ratling”, step by step
ratling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English rat
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | rat | A medium-sized rodent belonging to the genus... |
| 2 | Middle English | raat | Alternative form of ratte |
| 3 | Old English | ræt | Alternative form of rætt |
| 4 | Old English | rætt | rat |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rattaz | rat |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | Hreh₃d- | to scrape |
via English Ling
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ling | Any of various codlike saltwater fish often used as food by humans, those of the genus Molva, in the family Lotidae |
| 2 | Middle English | ling | Any of various varieties of heather or broom |
| 3 | Old Norse | lyng | heather, ling |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lingwą | heather, ling |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰ- | light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,... |