Cotter
/ˈkɒt.ər/noun
A pin, wedge, or split pin used to fasten parts together; also, historically, a small tenant or laborer in parts of Scotland and Ireland.
Did you know?The fastening sense of *cotter* is tied to a Germanic word for a wedge or pin, while the social sense developed separately in Britain for a small tenant or laborer—two very different lives in one word.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kot- / *kut-
“A root associated with a wedge, pin, or small fastening piece in Germanic development”
Old Norse
ON
köttr
“A cat; not the source of the fastening sense, but a separate Germanic form often confused with similar-looking words”
Middle English
English
coter / cotter
“A pin or wedge used to fasten a joint or axle”
Late Middle English
English
cotter
“A small tenant or laborer, especially in Scotland and Ireland”
Modern English
English
cotter
“A fastening pin or wedge; also a historical term for a small tenant or cottager”