Kitten comes from Anglo-Norman French kitoun, a diminutive of Old French chat (cat), ultimately from Late Latin cattus of probable Afroasiatic origin.
A young domestic cat, typically one less than a year old
Kitten entered Middle English in the late 14th century as kitoun or kytoun, from Anglo-Norman French kitoun, a diminutive of Old French chitoun, itself from chat (cat). The Old French chat descends from Late Latin cattus, which probably came from an Afroasiatic source (compare Nubian kadīs). The English diminutive suffix -en replaced the original French -oun ending over time, aligning with native English patterns like maiden and chicken. The word