gatto (Italian)

Where does "gatto" come from?

The Italian noun 'gatto', meaning 'cat' or 'tomcat', is inherited from the Late Latin word 'cattum'[1]. The ultimate origin of the underlying Latin form 'cattus' remains unknown, though scholars have suggested it may have been borrowed from an Afroasiatic or Nilo-Saharan language[2].

Open questions

• The ultimate origin of the Latin form cattus is unknown, with possible borrowings from Afroasiatic or Nilo-Saharan languages remaining unproven. [2]

Full etymology tree

• gatto (Italian), 'cat'
  • inherited cattum (Latin), 'accusative singular of cattus'

Ancestors

• cattus (Latin)

Descendants and derived words

• di notte tutti i gatti sono bigi (Italian)
• erba gatta (Italian)
• gattabuia (Italian)
• gatta ci cova (Italian)
• gatta da pelare (Italian)
• gattaia (Italian)
• gattaiola (Italian)
• gatta morta (Italian)
• gattamorta (Italian)
• gattaro (Italian)
• gatteggiare (Italian)
• gattesco (Italian)

Sources

1. gatto (Italian) - Wiktionary
2. cattus (Latin) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris