Where does “rat” come from?

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

rat (Middle English): Alternative form of ratte

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of ratte

Ancestry of “rat”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishratterat
2Old EnglishrætAlternative form of rætt
3Old Englishrættrat
4Proto-Germanicrattazrat
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanHreh₃d-to scrape
Every word from Proto-Indo-European Hreh₃d- →Every word from Proto-Germanic rattaz →Every word from Old English rætt →