Emmet
/ˈɛmɪt/noun
A dialectal English word for an ant.
Did you know?“Emmet” was once a widely used English word for an ant, but modern standard English largely replaced it with the shortened form “ant.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*ēmaitijō
“A reconstructed Germanic word for an ant; its deeper origin is uncertain.”
Old English
OE
ǣmete
“Ant; an insect-name recorded in early English.”
Middle English
ME
emete
“Ant; the initial vowel and spelling shifted over time.”
14th–15th Century
English
emmet
“A regional or dialectal form meaning ant.”
Modern English
English
emmet
“A chiefly dialectal word for an ant, especially preserved in parts of Britain.”