Etymology

patter

P3A1T1T1E1R1

Today it means: A soft repeated sound, as of rain falling, or feet walking on a hard surface. Full definition →

Middle English pater
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patter · noun, verb1

1610s, pat + -er (“frequentative (indicating repeated action)”), of (onomatopoeia) origin.

patter · noun, verb2

  1. Middle English · inherited frompateren
  2. Middle English · inherited frompater
  3. English todaypatter

Noun is from Middle English pater, verb is from Middle English pateren. Noun attested 1758, originally referring to the cant of thieves and beggars.

patter · noun3

From pat + -er (“agent”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.