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motte¹ also mott

(mŏt)

n.
Texas

A copse or small stand of trees on a prairie.

[American Spanish mata, from Spanish, shrub, probably from Late Latin matta, mat; see MAT¹.]

motte²

(mŏt)

A flat-topped mound of earth, often made artificially in the Middle Ages, on which was built a wooden or stone defensive structure.

[From French, from Old French mote, mound; see MOAT.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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