Catus
/ˈkeɪtəs/noun
Catus is a historical zoological genus name used for cats and is now generally treated as a taxonomic synonym of Felis.
Did you know?Classical Latin catus usually meant “sharp” or “shrewd,” while the Latin word for the animal was cattus, the ancestor of English cat; the two forms are often confused.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
catus
“Sharp, clever, or shrewd”
Late Latin
Latin
cattus
“Cat; an animal name of uncertain, probably non-Indo-European origin”
Old English
Old English
catt
“Cat”
Middle English
English
cat
“The domestic feline”
18th Century
Taxonomic Latin
Catus
“A zoological genus name applied to cats”
Modern English
English
Catus
“A historical taxonomic name, generally treated as a synonym of Felis”