Etymology

batten

bat·ten
B3A1T1T1E1N1

Today it means: To cause (an animal, etc.) to become fat or thrive through plenteous feeding; to fatten. Full definition →

First used late 16th c.Middle English *battenen ← Old Norse batna ← Proto-Germanic *batnaną
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batten · verb, adjective1

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰed-“good”
  2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*batnaną“to become better, improve”
  3. Old Norse · derived frombatna“to grow better, improve, recover”
  4. Middle English · inherited from*battenen
  5. English todaybatten

The verb is derived from Middle English *battenen, *batnen, of North Germanic origin, probably from Old Norse batna (“to grow better, improve, recover”), from Proto-Germanic *batnaną (“to become better, improve”) (compare Old Norse bati (“advantage, improvement”), from Proto-Germanic *batô (“improvement, recovery”)), from *bataz (“good”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰed- (“good”). Compare battle (“(adjective) improving; fattening, nutritious; fertile, fruitful; (verb) to feed or nourish; to render (land, etc.) fertile or fruitful”) (obsolete). The adjective is probably derived from the verb. Cognates * Dutch baten (“to avail, benefit, profit”) * Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌰𐍄𐌽𐌰𐌽 (gabatnan, “to benefit, profit”) * Icelandic batna (“to improve, recover”) * Old English batian (“to get better, recover”)

batten · noun, verb2

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰedʰ-, *bʰedʰh₂-“to pierce; to stab”
  2. Latin · derived frombattuō“(very rare) to beat, hit, strike”
  3. Late Latin · derived frombattere
  4. Old French · derived frombatent“a beating”
  5. Middle English · inherited frombataunt
  6. English todaybatten

The noun is from Middle English bataunt, batent (“finished bar or board (as for panelling)”), from Old French batent (“a beating”), a noun use of the present participle form of batre (“to beat, hit, strike”), from Late Latin battere, the present active infinitive of battō (“to beat”), from Latin battuō (“(very rare) to beat, hit, strike”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ-, *bʰedʰh₂- (“to pierce; to stab”) or *bʰat- (“to hit”), ultimately onomatopoeic. The verb is derived from the noun.

Batten · proper noun3

English surname, pet form of Batt.

Words from the same roots

Latinbattuō all →

batterybattlebasculebattelbaculebattaliaimbat

First known use, by meaning

  • from late 16th c. To become better; to improve in condition; especially of animals, by feeding; to fatten up.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.