Where does “rotten” come from?
rotten (Middle Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch roten, from Old Dutch roton, from Proto-Germanic *rotēn, from Proto-Germanic rutāną, from Proto-Indo-European Hrewd- — to tear; rend.
Ancestry of “rotten”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | roten | — |
| 2 | Old Dutch | roton | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *rotēn | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | rutāną | to rot |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | Hrewd- | to tear; rend |
Words derived from “rotten”