English

fortatter

Fortatter comes from Middle English fortateren.

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

Formed from for- + tatter

Proto-Indo-European *pro- ‘before, in front of’

Proto-Germanic *fra- ‘off, away’

Proto-West Germanic *fra- ‘forms verbs with the sense of "away from" or…’

English for-

Proto-Germanic *tat(t)uraz ‘tuft, patch’

Old Norse tǫturr ‘tatters, rags’

Middle English tater

Every English word from Middle English fortateren

verb To tear to tatters; tatter.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.