ratoun

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Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Anglo-Norman ratoun; equivalent to ratte +‎ -oun.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /raˈtuːn/, /ˈratun/

Noun

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ratoun (plural ratouns)

  1. rat
    Synonym: ratte
    • c. 1390, William Langland, Piers Plowman, Prologue:
      Wiþ þat ran þere a route · of ratones at ones / And smale mys with hem · mo þen a þousande
      With that a rout of rats ran at once, / and small mice with them; more than a thousand.

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • English: ratton (dialectal)
  • Scots: ratton

References

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Old French

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Noun

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ratoun oblique singularm (oblique plural ratouns, nominative singular ratouns, nominative plural ratoun)

  1. rat or baby rat

Usage notes

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  • The Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub lists the meaning as 'rat' (with one citation) while the Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle lists the meaning as 'baby rat' (also with one citation). See references below.

Descendants

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References

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