cat
/kæt/
noun
Origin
Late Latin
cattus — domestic cat
Overview
Meaning Now
- A small domesticated carnivorous mammal (Felis catus) often kept as a pet.
- Any member of the family Felidae, such as a lion, tiger, or leopard.
Language path
Late Latin → Old North French → English
Earliest form
catte
Earliest period
Old English period (c. 700s AD)
Journey
The word 'cat' appears to have replaced the earlier Old English word 'catte' gradually, likely influenced by Afro-Asiatic or North African languages where domestic cats were common long before their spread through the Roman Empire.
Evolution
- Late Latin
cattus
“domestic cat”
Introduced in the 4th century.
- Old English
catte
“domestic cat”
Borrowed from Continental Germanic/Latin.
- Middle English
cat
“feline animal”
Spelling stabilized.
Connections
Word parts
cat
root
domestic feline
Related across languages
French
chat
cat
German
Katze
cat
Irish
cat
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.