An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Rat
Rat, m., ‘counsel, advice, deliberation, council,’ from MidHG. and OHG. rât (gen. râtes), m., ‘counsel, means at hand, store of provisions’; these meanings are still partly preserved by ModHG. Gerät, Vorrat, Hausrat, Unrat. A verbal abstract of ModHG. raten, MidHG. râten, OHG. râtan, ‘to advise’; comp. the equiv. Goth. rêdan, OIc. râða, AS. rœ̂dan (to which E. to read is akin?), OSax. râdan. Some etymologists have connected the common Teut. rêdan, ‘to advise,’ with Lat. reor, ‘to suppose’; in that case the dental of the Teut. verb is prop. only part of the pres. stem, which was afterwards joined to the root. Others with equal reason have referred to the Sans. root râdh, ‘to carry out a project, put to rights, obtain; to appease,’ and to Sans. raditi, ‘to feel solicitous, trouble oneself about.’ —