Etymograph

English

cot

Cot comes from Sanskrit खट्वा ‘bedstead’.

  1. Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEखट्वा1khaṭvā‘bedstead’
  2. Sauraseni Prakritmodern𑀔𑀝𑁆𑀝𑀸1khaṭṭā
  3. Hindic. 1500–presentखाट1khāṭ
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1889cot1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English cot
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1889, Rudyard Kipling, Only A Subaltern: “There was a flickering of lanterns about the camp…”.

Lineage

  1. Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEखट्वाWiktionary, English cotkhaṭvā‘bedstead’
  2. Sauraseni Prakritmodern𑀔𑀝𑁆𑀝𑀸Wiktionary, English cotkhaṭṭā
  3. Hindic. 1500–presentखाटWiktionary, English cotkhāṭ
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1889cotWiktionary, English cot. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1889, Rudyard Kipling, Only A Subaltern: “There was a flickering of lanterns about the camp…”

Every English word from Sanskrit खट्वा

Another origin of cot

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cot
  2. Englishtodaycot

Another origin of cot

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcatīnus‘bowl, basin’uncertain
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcatīllus‘small bowl’uncertaindiminutive of catīnus
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*katilaz‘kettle, bucket, vessel’uncertain
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*katil‘kettle’uncertain
  5. Old High Germanc. 750–1050kezzil‘kettle’uncertain
  6. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500cattia‘pan’uncertain
  7. Irishc. 1200–presentcoite‘small boat, cot, wherry’
  8. Englishtodaycot

Another origin of cot

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kuttô‘woolen fabric, wool covering’reconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150*cot‘cottage’reconstructed
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cot‘matted wool’
  4. Englishtodaycot

Possibly influenced by English cotton.

Today it means

noun A simple bed, especially one for portable or temporary purposes.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “cot”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Sanskrit खट्वा / cot

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