Kittened Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations
๐ฑ
kittened
[หkษชtnd ]
Definition
animal birth
Kittened refers to the act of giving birth to kittens, which is typically used when describing felines. It indicates that a female cat has produced a litter of baby cats.
Synonyms
gave birth, parturition, progeny.
Examples of usage
- The mother cat kittened in the cozy corner of the room.
- After she kittened, she kept her kittens close and safe.
- She was so proud when her cat kittened for the first time.
Translations
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Origin of 'kittened'
The word 'kittened' is derived from the noun 'kitten', which originates from the Middle English word 'kitten', meaning a small cat. This term has French roots, from 'kitten', which is a diminutive form of the word 'kit', meaning 'young one' or 'child'. The usage of 'kitten' in the context of animal birth emerged in English around the 16th century. The suffix '-ed' is added to indicate the past tense of the verb form, suggesting that a female cat has completed the act of giving birth to her young. Over time, 'kittened' has specifically come to refer to the process of a cat birthing, distinguishing it from other animals, thus enriching the lexical field in the context of animal reproduction.