Ratte (pluralRattes)
FromMiddle High Germanratte, fromOld High Germanratta,rato, fromProto-West Germanic*ratt, fromProto-Germanic*rattaz(“rat”); see that entry and Englishrat for more. Compare alsoDutchrat,Swedishråtta,Frenchrat.
The consonantismratta in Old High German (instead of *razza) is unexplained. One possible explanation is that the form was borrowed fromOld Saxonratta. The dialectal German variantRatz could be reflective of an inherited Proto-Germanic form, an adaptation of the Old Saxon form, or (perhaps most likely) a later expressive derivative.
Ratte f (genitiveRatte,pluralRatten,diminutiveRättchen n,feminineRättin)
Ratte on the German Wikipedia.WikipediadeRatte f