*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of catty

From cat + -y. Compare Dutch kattig, which also means “subtly hostile” and is formed the same way (kat + -ig); see also catfight.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
adj

Resembling or characteristic of a cat. · With subtle hostility in an effort to hurt, annoy, or upset (particularly in interactions between women).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From cat + -y. Compare Dutch kattig, which also means “subtly hostile” and is formed the same way (kat + -ig); see also catfight.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "suf",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cat",
        "3": "-y",
        "id2": "adjectival"
      },
      "expansion": "cat + -y"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "kattig"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch kattig"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "cat",
      "cat#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_adjectival"
    ],
    [
      "kattig",
      "kattig#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "kat",
      "kat#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "-ig",
      "-ig#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "catfight",
      "catfight#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Resembling or characteristic of a cat.",
        "With subtle hostility in an effort to hurt, annoy, or upset (particularly in interactions between women)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "literally",
        "broadly"
      ],
      "recordId": "b9c4d87299fda63c1f4fcfa85c758f49cb61e8f16bf70bbaacd23785f35ff6d6",
      "rawRecordSha256": "56ee87dfcfdbc56cdcf76379a9ff9982576bf12200ee23c11a06b545b571e80b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 208910
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A (unit of) weight used in China which is metricated in Mainland China as exactly 0.5 kg, and approximately 0.6 kg for other places.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Malay kati, from Tamil கட்டி (kaṭṭi).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ms",
        "3": "kati"
      },
      "expansion": "Malay kati"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ta",
        "3": "கட்டி"
      },
      "expansion": "Tamil கட்டி (kaṭṭi)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "kati",
      "kati#Malay"
    ],
    [
      "கட்டி",
      "கட்டி#Tamil"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A (unit of) weight used in China which is metricated in Mainland China as exactly 0.5 kg, and approximately 0.6 kg for other places."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "5bb3e5f3d489f7479a94836f51ae9c42f4a250687d8bdfba6884573776a98009",
      "rawRecordSha256": "326974f7280f61c29e5a7154d373edbc316f808899f344681dfbca1d648fa328",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 208911
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for catty →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-Y2F0dHk