Where does “rattle” come from?
rattle (English) comes from Arabic رَطْل, from Classical Syriac ܪܝܛܠܐ, from Classical Syriac ܠܝܛܪܐ, from French litre, from Medieval Latin litra, from Ancient Greek λίτρα, from Proto-Italic *līðrā — ingot.
rattle (English): a sound made by loose objects shaking or...
Definitions
- a sound made by loose objects shaking or...
Ancestry of “rattle”, step by step
rattle traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Arabic رَطْل
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arabic | رَطْل | — |
| 2 | Classical Syriac | ܪܝܛܠܐ | — |
| 3 | Classical Syriac | ܠܝܛܪܐ | libra, pound |
| 4 | French | litre | litre |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | litra | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | λίτρα | litra, a Sicilian silver coin; libra, a unit of... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *līðrā | ingot |
via Dutch ratelen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | ratelen | to rattle; to talk incessantly |