English
rotten
Rotten comes from Old Norse rotinn ‘decayed, rotten’.
- Old Norsec. 800–1350rotinn‘decayed, rotten’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500roten‘Toxic, noxious’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598rotten
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Norsec. 800–1350rotinn‘decayed, rotten’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500roten‘Toxic, noxious’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598rotten
Earliest quotation: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “Antonio: Mark you this, Bassanio, / The devil can…”
Linked words
through Middle English roten ‘Toxic, noxious’
Today it means
adj Of perishable items, overridden with bacteria and other infectious agents.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old Norse rotinn / rotten