Rottan
/ˈrɒtən/noun
A variant spelling of rattan, a climbing palm whose tough stems are used for furniture and basketry.
Did you know?English forms such as rottan and rattan entered through Malay rotan, reflecting Southeast Asia’s central role in the global trade of cane and palm products.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 17th Century
Malay
rotan
“Rattan cane or the rattan palm”
16th–17th Century
Portuguese
rotão
“Rattan, borrowed from Malay trade vocabulary”
17th Century
Dutch
rottan
“Rattan cane; a spelling used in European commercial writing”
17th Century
English
rottan
“Rattan, especially the flexible cane used for making objects”
Modern English
English
rottan
“A chiefly historical or variant spelling of rattan”