English
rodent
Rodent comes from Latin rōdēns ‘gnawer’, from rōdō ‘to gnaw’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₃d-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*Hreh₃d-‘to gnaw, scrape, scratch’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErōdō‘to gnaw’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErōdēns‘gnawer’present participle of rōdō
- Englishearliest quotation 2013rodent
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*Hreh₃d-‘to gnaw, scrape, scratch’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErōdō‘to gnaw’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErōdēns‘gnawer’present participle of rōdō
- Englishearliest quotation 2013rodent
Earliest quotation: 2013, -June, In the News: “Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₃d- ‘to gnaw, scrape, scratch’
through Latin rōdō ‘to gnaw’
erosion, corrosion, rostrum, erode, rostral, corrode, 5 more
Today it means
noun A mammal of the order Rodentia, characterized by long incisors that grow continuously and are worn down by gnawing.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₃d- / rodent