Where does “Rostkatze” come from?

Rostkatze (German) comes from German katze, from Middle High German katze, from Old High German kazza, from Old High German katta, from Proto-Celtic kattā, from Proto-Germanic *kattǭ, from Latin catta, from Latin cattus — a cat.

Rostkatze (German): rusty-spotted cat

Definitions

  1. rusty-spotted cat

Ancestry of “Rostkatze”, step by step

Rostkatze traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German katze

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germankatzehouse cat, Felis silvestris catus
2Middle High Germankatzecat
3Old High Germankazzacat
4Old High Germankatta—
5Proto-Celtickattācat
6Proto-Germanic*kattǭfemale cat
7Latincattaa cat
8Latincattusa cat

via German rōst

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanrōstroofing frame
2Middle High Germanrōst—
3Old High Germanrōst—
4Old Frenchrostirto roast; to torture by subjecting to fire
5Frankishrōstjanto roast
6Proto-Germanicraustijanąto roast
7Proto-Indo-European*Hrews-—
Every word from Latin cattus →Every word from Latin catta →Every word from Proto-Germanic *kattǭ →