Cat
/kæt/noun
A small domesticated carnivorous mammal, Felis catus.
Did you know?The English word cat ultimately spreads from a Late Latin form, likely cattus, and its exact origin is uncertain, but it became the dominant European word for the animal as cats spread across the Roman world.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kat-
“A proposed pre-Latin/early source for the cat word-family, but not securely established”
Late Latin
Latin
cattus
“Cat”
Old English
English
catt
“Cat”
Middle English
English
cat
“Cat”
Modern English
English
cat
“Cat”