English word origin

Etymology of rotan

Borrowed from Malay rotan (“cane”), doublet of rattan.

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

A long rattan cane used for corporal punishment.

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

Borrowed from Malay rotan (“cane”), doublet of rattan.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentionrotanms · cane
Doublet mentionrattanen

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ms",
        "3": "rotan",
        "t": "cane"
      },
      "expansion": "Malay rotan (“cane”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "rattan",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "doublet of rattan"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "rotan",
      "rotan#Malay"
    ],
    [
      "rattan",
      "rattan#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A long rattan cane used for corporal punishment."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Malaysia",
        "Singapore"
      ],
      "recordId": "282deae673aa6531c0fee2af68e47af20e5024258c977f67b9e330840b0f51cc",
      "rawRecordSha256": "98fc13778cf072c117de69c212c22113172c9e7535024c3494c9cfba38d4c690",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 501627
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Amur sleeper (Perccottus glenii)

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

Borrowed from Russian рота́н (rotán, “Amur sleeper”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentionрота́нru · Amur sleeper

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ru",
        "3": "рота́н",
        "t": "Amur sleeper"
      },
      "expansion": "Russian рота́н (rotán, “Amur sleeper”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "рота́н",
      "ротан#Russian"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Amur sleeper (Perccottus glenii)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "no-plural",
        "uncommon"
      ],
      "recordId": "0e8cd166d5a6be72d3e9ac004fd1954e2a96235ddda9e19919f26a9983054b9a",
      "rawRecordSha256": "27a64d4a38a98d3cfc3d2ad8d4f3d422a32e337c481a588a92a4595cae53931d",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 501628
    }
  ],
  "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 rotan →

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-cm90YW4