Etymology

Usually derived from ON, cp. the OIcel pp. rotinn used in this way, and indicating a st. v. *reutan- on which the various NGmc and WGmc wk. verbs are derived, cp. OE gerotian 'rot, putrefy', OFris rotia, MDu rotten, OS rotōn, OHG rozzēn, OIcel rotna. Cp. also rot (n.).

PGmc Ancestor

*rut-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

rotinn 'rotten'
(ONP rotinn (adj.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far rotin, Icel rotinn, Norw roten, Dan rådden, Sw rutten, Sw dial rotin

OE Cognate

cp. gerotian 'rot, putrefy'

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

C1

Attestation

Common and widespread from c. 1300 (for a possible earlier attestation from Ancrene Riwle (Tit D.18), see OED3).

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Erk 344

Menner (followed by Vant) reads another instance at Cl 1009; see further roþum.

Bibliography

MED rō̆ten (adj.) , OED3 rotten (adj., n. and adv.) , HTOED , Bj. 218, de Vries rotinn (1), Mag. rotinn, Orel *reutanan