Ratte
/ˈrætə/noun
A small, elongated heirloom potato variety, especially the French cultivar La Ratte.
Did you know?The cultivar’s name is generally connected with French ratte, a feminine form related to rat, apparently inspired by the tuber’s small, elongated shape.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Romance
Proto-Romance
*rat-
“A traditional European term associated with the rat; its deeper origin is uncertain.”
Medieval French
Old French
rat
“Rat or mouse-like rodent.”
Medieval French
French
ratte
“Feminine form or diminutive related to rat.”
19th Century
French
La Ratte
“Name applied to a distinctive small, elongated potato cultivar.”
Modern English
English
Ratte
“A culinary name for the heirloom potato variety, usually encountered in phrases such as La Ratte potato.”