*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of rotal

From Latin rotālis (“wheeled, turning”), from rota (“wheel”) + -ālis (“-al”, forming adjectives). In reference to motion, under the influence of earlier rotary.

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 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

Of or relating to wheels. · Alternative form of rotary: of or relating to circular motion.

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

From Latin rotālis (“wheeled, turning”), from rota (“wheel”) + -ālis (“-al”, forming adjectives). In reference to motion, under the influence of earlier rotary.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Derivation mentionrotālisla · wheeled, turning
Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "rotālis",
        "t": "wheeled, turning"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin rotālis (“wheeled, turning”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "rotālis",
      "rotalis#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "wheeled",
      "wheeled"
    ],
    [
      "turning",
      "turning"
    ],
    [
      "rota",
      "rota#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "wheel",
      "wheel"
    ],
    [
      "-ālis",
      "-alis#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "-al",
      "-al"
    ],
    [
      "form",
      "form"
    ],
    [
      "adjective",
      "adjective"
    ],
    [
      "rotary",
      "rotary#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Of or relating to wheels.",
        "Alternative form of rotary: of or relating to circular motion."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable",
        "alt-of",
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        "obsolete"
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
adj

Of or relating to the Rota.

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

From Italian and Latin Rota (“an ecclesiastical appellate court in the Catholic Church”) + -al (“forming adjectives”), under the influence of Latin rotālis.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Derivation mentionRotala · an ecclesiastical appellate court in the Catholic Church
  • Derivation mentionrotālisla
Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "1": "en",
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        "3": "-"
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        "3": "Rota",
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      "appellate court"
    ],
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      "Catholic Church"
    ],
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      "-al#English"
    ],
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    ],
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      "adjective"
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      "rotālis",
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

Alternative form of rottol: a former Middle Eastern and North African unit of dry weight variously equal to 1–5 lbs. (.5–2.5 kg.).

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

From Arabic رُطْل (ruṭl), variant of classical رِطْل (riṭl), ultimately from Ancient Greek λίτρα (lítra).

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.

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  "templates": [
    {
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        "3": "رُطْل"
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      "expansion": "Arabic رُطْل (ruṭl)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "λίτρα"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek λίτρα (lítra)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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      "رُطْل",
      "رطل#Arabic"
    ],
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      "رِطْل",
      "رطل#Arabic"
    ],
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      "λίτρα",
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    ]
  ],
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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 rotal →

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-cm90YWw