Chat Was Chopped Off a Longer Word
To chat is to talk in a friendly informal way. The word is a shortening of chatter.
To chat is to talk in an easy informal way. The word is a shortening of *chatter*, itself imitative of quick repeated sounds, recorded from the 1400s. Computing borrowed it in the 1970s for real-time typed conversation, and by the 1990s *chat room* and *chat window* were everywhere. A *chat* is also a small songbird, named for its scolding call, which is the same imitative root arriving by a different path.
- Informal talk. *A quick chat.*
- To talk casually. *They chatted for hours.*
- Typed conversation. *A chat window.*
- Chatter — the longer word. *Chatter.*
- Imitative. *From the 1400s.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | chat | Chatting. |
| Noun | chat | A chat. |
| Past | chatted | Chatted. |
| Related | chatter | Chatter. |
| Adjective | chatty | Chatty. |
- We had a chat over coffee.Talk.
- She chatted to the neighbours.Verb.
- Chat rooms spread in the 1990s.Computing.
Words shortened from longer ones
- Chat — from chatter
- Fan — from fanatic
- Mob — from Latin *mobile vulgus*, the fickle crowd
- Bus — from omnibus
- Cab — from cabriolet
Short for *chatter*, which is imitative, recorded from the 1400s.
Is chat short for chatter?
Yes. Chatter came first, imitating quick repeated sounds, and chat was clipped from it.
Is the bird called a chat the same word?
It shares the imitative root. The bird is named for its short scolding call.