Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “rotian” come from?

rotian (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic *rotēn, from Proto-Germanic rutāną, from Proto-Indo-European Hrewd- — to tear; rend.

rotian (Old English): to rot, get corrupt, ulcerate, putrify

Definitions

  1. to rot, get corrupt, ulcerate, putrify

Ancestry of “rotian”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanic*rotēn—
2Proto-Germanicrutānąto rot
3Proto-Indo-EuropeanHrewd-to tear; rend

Words derived from “rotian”

  • rat
  • rotten
  • rot
  • rotting
  • rottenness
  • muskrat
  • ratty
  • rotter
  • woodrat
  • ratcatcher
  • rotgut
  • ratter
  • ratline
  • packrat
  • rathole
  • ratsbane
  • ratlike
  • rottenstone
  • rattail
  • footrot
  • rottenly
  • rattrap
  • ratling
  • ratbag
Every word from Proto-Indo-European Hrewd- →