Rat

Rat

See also: Appendix:Variations of "rat"

English

Proper noun

Rat

  1. The first of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.

See also

Anagrams

German

Alternative forms

  • Rath, Raht (both obsolete, Rath standard until 1902)

Etymology

From Middle High German rāt, from Old High German rāt, from Proto-West Germanic *rād, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaz.

Cognate with Dutch raad, English rede and read (noun).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /raːt/, [ʁaːt]
  • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):(file)
  • Rhymes: -aːt
  • Homophone: Rad (standard; in practice especially southern)

Noun

Rat m (strong, genitive Rates or Rats, plural Räte)

  1. advice, counsel
  2. council
  3. councilor, councillor
  4. (Germany) title of a Beamter ("Public servant") at the beginning of the senior service
  5. (Austria) title of a Beamter ("Public servant") in the senior service after first promotion

Usage notes

  • (title): The title is always preceded by a prefix. The common prefix for civil servants in the administration is Regierungs- ("in government administration"), in which case the full title is Regierungsrat. Teachers hold the title of a Studienrat (Educational councilor).
In terms of hierarchy, Räte are comparable to a Major or a Korvettenkapitän (Lieutenant Commander).

Declension

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Further reading

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Middle High German ratte, from Old High German ratta, perhaps from Proto-West Germanic *ratt, from Proto-Germanic *rattaz, though the consonantism in High German is unexplained.

Cognate with German Ratte, Dutch rat, English rat, Icelandic rotta.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /raːt/, [ʀaːt]
  • Rhymes: -aːt
  • Homophone: Rad

Noun

Rat m or f (plural Raten)

  1. rat