Where does “Rataj” come from?
Rataj (Polish) comes from Proto-Slavic ortajь, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *arˀtāˀjas, from Proto-Indo-European h₂erh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European h₁er- — earth.
Ancestry of “Rataj”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Slavic | ortajь | ploughman, farmer |
| 2 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | *arˀtāˀjas | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂erh₃- | to plough |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁er- | earth |