cattus

Latin

Etymology

Traditionally thought to be from some Afroasiatic language. Presumably borrowed into Germanic and Slavic languages along with the introduction of domesticated cats, though it is possible that the Latin word was derived from Proto-Germanic *kattuz instead. See cat for more.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈkat.tus/, [ˈkät̪ːʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈkat.tus/, [ˈkät̪ːus]

• Audio (Classical):

  (file)

Noun

cattus m (genitive cattī); second declension

1. a cat
   • 1558, Martin Luther, Theologiae Martini Lutheri Trimembris Epitome, De Tertio Statu Hominis:

     Affirmant quod quanto sceleratior es, tanto citius Deus gratiam infundit: si autem adornes te, ut cattus bonis operibus, ut te Deus acceptet, nihil efficias.

     They assert that the more a miscreant you are, the sooner God showers grace upon you: if, however, you should adorn yourself, like a cat, with good works, so that God accepts you, you shall bring about nothing.

   • 1656, Guillaume Pepin, Conciones Mysticae et Morales in Septem Psalmos Poenitentiales, p. 38:

     [...] illa accepit bovem & cattum, et utrumque duxit ad forum. Cumque quiddam venisset qui bovem emere veller. Illa respondit. Nullus habebit bovem, nisi etiam emat & cattum. Cumque ille dixisset non velle emere cattum, abiit. Et statim venit alius & interrogat quanti pretii utrumque foret. Illa dixit se velle vendere cattum pro una marcha argentari, sed bovem pro denario, & sic convenerunt.

     [...] he took the ox and the cat, and led both to the market. Anytime someone came who wanted to buy the ox, he responded: None shall have an ox, unless besides he also buys a cat. Any time someone said he did not want to buy a cat, he left. And immediately another came and asked what price for each. He said he wanted to sell a cat for one silver mark, but an ox for a denarius, and so they came to an agreement.

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	cattus	cattī
Genitive	cattī	cattōrum
Dative	cattō	cattīs
Accusative	cattum	cattōs
Ablative	cattō	cattīs
Vocative	catte	cattī

Synonyms

• (a cat): fēlēs, mūsiō, mūriceps, mūrilegus, pilax

Related terms

• catta f

Descendants

Descendants of "cattus"

• Arabic
  • Libyan: قطّوس (qaṭṭus)
  • Tunisian: قطّوس (qaṭṭus), ڨطّوس (gaṭṭus)
• Aromanian: cãtushi
• Asturian: gatu
• Basque: katu
• Catalan: gat
• Esperanto: kato
• Franco-Provençal: chat
• Old French: chat
  • Middle French: chat
    • French: chat
  • Bourguignon: chait
• Friulian: gjat
• Greek: γάτα (gáta)
• Old Irish: catt (see there for further descendants)

• Istriot: gato
• Italian: gatto
• Ladin: giat
• Maltese: qattus
• Old Occitan: cat
  • Occitan: cat, gat
• Old Galician-Portuguese: gato
  • Galician: gato, ghato
  • Portuguese: gato
• Proto-Brythonic: *kaθ (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Germanic: *kattuz (see there for further descendants) (possibly)
• Proto-Slavic: *kotъ (see there for further descendants)
• Romagnol: gat
• Romanian: cătușă
• Romansch: giat, gat
• Sardinian: gatu, batu, giatu, gattu
• Sicilian: gattu, jattu
• Spanish: gato

References

• cattus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• cattus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• cattus in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[1], pre-publication website, 2005-2016