Origins: Kitty-corner and cady-corner

The terms "kitty-corner" and "cata-corner" (or cady-corner)" both mean "diagonally across from" and have interesting linguistic origins.

Origins:

Cata-Cornered (Cady-Cornered)

1. The oldest form of this phrase comes from the French word "catre" (or "quatre"), meaning "four."

2. The French term "quatre-cornered" referred to something being set at an angle, like the four corners of a square.

3. Over time, English speakers adapted this to "cater-cornered", and as pronunciation changed, it became "cata-cornered" or "cady-cornered."

Kitty-Corner

1. As English evolved in North America, "cata-" or "cater-" was misheard and reshaped into "kitty-"—possibly because "kitty" was a more familiar word.

2. This version became more popular in American English, especially in the Midwest and the North.

Regional Differences:

"Kitty-corner" is more common in the United States and Canada.

"Cata-corner" or "caddy-corner" is more commonly used in the Southern U.S.

Both terms mean the same thing and are used interchangeably depending on where you are!

Source: Some or all of the content was generated using an AI language model