Where does “alata” come from?
alata (Sranan Tongo) comes from Dutch rat, from Dutch buidelrat, from German Beutelratte, from German Beutel, from Middle High German biūtel, from Old High German būtil, from Proto-West Germanic *būdil, from Proto-Germanic būdilaz — to be awake, be aware.
alata (Sranan Tongo): rat
Ancestry of “alata”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | rat | A rat, medium-sized rodent belonging to the genus... |
| 2 | Dutch | buidelrat | — |
| 3 | German | Beutelratte | opossum |
| 4 | German | Beutel | a small to medium-sized bag, usually of fabric;... |
| 5 | Middle High German | biūtel | — |
| 6 | Old High German | būtil | purse |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | *būdil | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | būdilaz | pouch; bag |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | beudaną | to offer, to bid |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰewdʰ- | to be awake, be aware |