Etymograph

English

rot

Rot comes from Middle English roten ‘to become toxic or noxious’, from Proto-West Germanic *rotēn ‘to rot’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *Hrewd- ‘to tear’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*Hrewd-‘to tear’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rutāną‘to rot’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rotēn‘to rot’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150rotian‘to rot, become corrupted, ulcerate, putrefy’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500roten‘to become toxic or noxious’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1658–1663rot

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*Hrewd-‘to tear’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rutāną‘to rot’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rotēn‘to rot’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150rotian‘to rot, become corrupted, ulcerate, putrefy’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500roten‘to become toxic or noxious’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1658–1663rot

Earliest quotation: 1658–1663, John Milton: “His cattle must of rot and murrain die.”

Linked words

through Old English rotian ‘to rot, become corrupted, ulcerate, putrefy’

rotting, 1 more

through Middle English roten ‘to become toxic or noxious’

rotten, rooting, 1 more

Today it means

verb To suffer decomposition due to biological action, especially by fungi or bacteria.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *Hrewd- / rot

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