English word origin

Etymology of peat

Inherited from Northern Middle English pete (recorded in Latin text as peta), of uncertain origin; perhaps from a Celtic language such as an unattested Pictish or Brythonic source, in turn possibly from Proto-Brythonic *

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 ↗

noun

Soil formed of dead but not fully decayed plants found in bog areas, often burned as fuel.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Derivation mention*peθcel-bry-pro
Doublet mentionpieceen

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "yesno",
      "args": {
        "1": "",
        "2": "i",
        "3": "I"
      },
      "expansion": "I"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "Inherited"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm-nor",
        "3": "pete",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "lit": "",
        "pos": "",
        "tr": "",
        "ts": "",
        "id": "",
        "sc": "",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "nocat": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Northern Middle English pete"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm-nor",
        "3": "pete"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Northern Middle English pete"
    },
    {
      "name": "unc",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "title": "uncertain"
      },
      "expansion": "uncertain"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cel",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Celtic"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "xpi",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Pictish"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cel-bry",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Brythonic"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cel-bry-pro",
        "3": "*peθ",
        "4": "",
        "5": "portion, segment, piece"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Brythonic *peθ (“portion, segment, piece”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "piece",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "doublet of piece"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "pete",
      "pete#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "peta",
      "peta#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*peθ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Brythonic/peθ"
    ],
    [
      "piece",
      "piece#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Soil formed of dead but not fully decayed plants found in bog areas, often burned as fuel."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "fe363e0b238f3b99aec397e6689384d59a3cdec690c232a04247405085f12e80",
      "rawRecordSha256": "0ee905073389c33cb6a809935325f11f4a721a899b5340070b06812d4a8c92e4",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 149156
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A pet, a darling; a woman.

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

Probably from Middle Dutch pete (“godmother or godfather”) (modern Dutch peet (“godparent, old woman, grandmother; godchild”)), related to dialectal German Pfette, Pfetter (“godfather; godchild”)), German Pate (“godfather, sponsor”), Patin (“godmother”). Or alternatively, related to pet (“a favourite”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentionpetedum · godmother or godfather
Cognate mentionpeetnl · godparent, old woman, grandmother; godchild
Cognate mentionPfettede
Cognate mentionPatede · godfather, sponsor

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dum",
        "3": "pete",
        "t": "godmother or godfather"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Dutch pete (“godmother or godfather”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "peet",
        "t": "godparent, old woman, grandmother; godchild"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch peet (“godparent, old woman, grandmother; godchild”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Pfette"
      },
      "expansion": "German Pfette"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Pate",
        "t": "godfather, sponsor"
      },
      "expansion": "German Pate (“godfather, sponsor”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "pete",
      "pete#Middle_Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "peet",
      "peet#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Pfette",
      "Pfette#German"
    ],
    [
      "Pfetter",
      "Pfetter#German"
    ],
    [
      "Pate",
      "Pate#German"
    ],
    [
      "Patin",
      "Patin#German"
    ],
    [
      "pet",
      "pet#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A pet, a darling; a woman."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "8ea540be947561086e6643d93d86be8bb045cea8828d22fbf1bcca277f120dbf",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ed43f5bc8a888ced983d40c8530e3fe8442d11675bf1397dbf6d5f97acf065f6",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 149157
    }
  ],
  "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 peat →

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-cGVhdA