Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “rotte” come from?

rotte (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.

rotte (Middle English): Alternative form of ratte; Alternative form of...

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of ratte; Alternative form of...

Ancestry of “rotte”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishratterat
2Old EnglishrætAlternative form of rætt
3Old Englishrættrat
4Proto-Germanicrattazrat
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanHreh₃d-to scrape

Words derived from “rotte”

  • rat
  • muskrat
  • ratty
  • woodrat
  • ratcatcher
  • ratter
  • ratline
  • packrat
  • rathole
  • ratsbane
  • ratlike
  • rattail
  • rattrap
  • ratling
  • ratbag
  • ratfish
  • hoodrat
  • antirat
  • rugrat
  • rattish
  • ratshit
  • wererat
  • ratproof
  • ratfuck
Every word from Proto-Indo-European Hreh₃d- →