plat

plat · noun, verb¹

1. Old French · derived fromplat
2. Middle English · inherited fromplat
3. English todayplat

The noun is derived from Middle English plat, platte (“flat part of a sword; flat piece of ground, plot of ground”), probably a variant of Middle English plot, (modern English plot) and influenced by Middle English plat, plate (modern English plate) and Anglo-Norman, Middle French and Old French plat. See platy-, plaice, flat. The verb is derived from the noun.

plat · noun, verb²

1. Middle English · inherited fromplatten“to braid, weave; plait; to fold”
2. Middle English · inherited fromplatte
3. English todayplat

The noun is a variant of plait. The verb is from Middle English platte, English plat, respectively archaic past and past participle forms of English pleat (a variant of plait), Middle English platten (“to braid, weave; plait; to fold”).

plat · adjective, adverb³

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*pleth₂-“flat”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromπλατύς“flat; wide”
3. Vulgar Latin · derived from*plattus“flat; smooth”
4. Old French · derived fromplat“(adjective) flat, level; calm; blunt, plain; (adverb) in a flat position; directly, straight; bluntly, plainly”
5. Middle English · inherited fromplat
6. English todayplat

From Middle English plat, plate, platte (“flat; smooth; blunt, plain”), from Anglo-Norman, Middle French, and Old French plat (“(adjective) flat, level; calm; blunt, plain; (adverb) in a flat position; directly, straight; bluntly, plainly”), from Vulgar Latin *plattus (“flat; smooth”); further etymology uncertain, but possibly from Ancient Greek πλατύς (platús, “flat; wide”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- (“flat”). The English word is cognate with French plat, Italian piatto, Middle Dutch plat (modern Dutch plat (“flat”)), Middle High German blat, plat, Middle Low German plat (modern German platt (“flat”)), Old Danish plat (modern Danish plat), Old Occitan plat (modern Occitan plat), Old Swedish plat (modern Swedish platt); and is a doublet of flat and pleyt.

plat · noun⁴

Clipping of platform.

Words from the same roots