Etymology Map
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Rotten

3 stages from Old Norse to English.

Today it means decayed and decomposing; very bad or unpleasant

Where does the word "rotten" come from? It comes from Old Norse rotinn, passing through Middle English before entering English (1800s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
rotinn
Old Norse · medieval
"decayed"
a past participle form, 'having rotted', cousin of native English 'rot'
2
Stage 2 of 3
roten
Middle English · 1200s
"decomposed, putrid"
edged out Old English 'rotod' as the everyday adjective
3
Stage 3 of 3
rotten
English · 1800s
"decayed; very bad"
by the 19th century it also served as casual slang for anything bad or unpleasant
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Rotten’s story begins in Old Norse: rotinn meant “decayed.” A past participle form, 'having rotted', cousin of native English 'rot'. By 1200s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as roten. Edged out Old English 'rotod' as the everyday adjective. It reached English by 1800s as rotten. By the 19th century it also served as casual slang for anything bad or unpleasant. Today, rotten means decayed and decomposing; very bad or unpleasant.