"L" Word Origins

la

Latin

From the medieval solmization system devised by Guido of Arezzo, in which each note of the scale was named from a syllable in a Latin hymn.

laager

Origin

From South African Dutch lager (“camp”) (modern Afrikaans laer), from German Lager, from Middle High German leger, from Old High German legar, from Proto-Germanic *legrą. Doublet of lager and lair.

lab

Origin

Shortened from "laboratory."

label

Old French

From Old French label/lambel, "a strip of cloth or ribbon," ultimately from a Germanic word for a flap or rag — the same root that gives English "lap" and "lapel."

labia

Latin

From Latin labia, the plural of labium, meaning "lip."

labor

Origin

Variant of Labarre.

laboratory

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin laboratorium, a place for laboring or working, built on Latin labor, "work."

laborer

Origin

From "labor" plus the agent suffix "-er," meaning "one who labors."

laborious

Latin

From Old French laborios, from Latin laboriosus, built on labor, "work."

labour

Latin

From Old French labor and Latin labor, both meaning "work" or "toil."

Labrador

Portuguese

Named after the Canadian region of Labrador, itself named for the Portuguese explorer João Fernandes Lavrador.

labrish

Origin

From Jamaican Creole labrish.

labside

Origin

From lab + -side.

labyrinth

Ancient Greek

From Latin labyrinthus, from Ancient Greek labúrinthos, referring to the mythical maze built by Daedalus to hold the Minotaur.

labyrinthal

Origin

From labyrinth + -al.

labyrinthine

Origin

From labyrinth + -ine from Ancient Greek λᾰβύρῐνθος (lăbúrĭnthos, “a maze”).

lac

Sanskrit

From Hindi/Urdu lākh, ultimately from Sanskrit lākṣā; a doublet of "lacquer."

lace

Latin

From Old French las, ultimately from Latin laqueus, "snare" or "noose" — a doublet of "lasso."

lacerate

Origin

The verb is first attested in 1425, the adjective in 1514; inherited from Middle English laceraten, borrowed from Latin lacerātus, perfect passive participle of lacerō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

lacewood

Origin

From lace + wood.

lacework

Origin

From lace + -work.

Lachie

Origin

From Lachlan + -ie.

Lachlan

Scottish Gaelic

From Scottish Gaelic Lachlann, meaning "land of the lochs," referring to Norway or a Norseman.

lachrymate

Origin

From Medieval Latin lachryma + -ate (adjectival suffix).

lachrymose

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin lachrymōsus, lacrimōsus, from lachryma, lacrima (“tear”) + -osus (“-ful”), from Old Latin dacrima, from Proto-Indo-European *dakru-, cognate with English tear.

lack

Old English

From Old English *læc, related to Germanic words for "slackness" or "deficiency."

lackadaisical

English

From lackadaisy, a playful alteration of the old exclamation of regret alack the day, plus the ending -ical.

lackey

French

Borrowed from French laquais, tracing back through Spanish and possibly Arabic or Turkish origins.

lackwit

Origin

From lack + wit.

laconia

Origin

Borrowed from Latin Lacōnia.

laconic

Greek

From Greek Lakōnikos, 'of Laconia', the region of Sparta, whose people were famous for their extremely terse speech.

lacquer

French

From French lacque, from Portuguese laca, tracing back to Sanskrit lākṣā — a doublet of "lac."

Lacroix

French

From French Lacroix, from la (“the”) + croix (“cross”).

lacrosse

French

From Canadian French la crosse, meaning "the stick," referring to the curved stick used in the game.

lactate

Origin

Borrowed from Latin lactātus, perfect passive participle of lactō (“to suckle, give suck, contain milk”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from lac (“milk”), cognate to Ancient Greek γάλα (gála, “milk”).

lactating

Latin

From Latin lactare 'to suckle, produce milk', from lac, lactis 'milk', the root behind lactose and lactic.

lactation

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin lactātiō, lactātiōnis. Equivalent to lactate + -ion.

lacteous

Origin

See lacteal.

lactose

Latin

Coined in French from Latin lac, "milk," plus the chemical suffix "-ose" used for sugars.

lad

Middle English

From Middle English ladde, meaning "servant, young man, or boy," of uncertain further origin.

ladder

Old English

From Old English hlǣder, related to the word "lean," describing something you lean against to climb.

laddie

Origin

From "lad" plus the diminutive suffix "-ie."

lade

Origin

From Middle English laden, from Old English hladan and Old English hleadan, from Proto-West Germanic *hlaþan, from Proto-Germanic *hlaþaną (“to load”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂- (“to put, lay out”).

ladies

Origin

As a lavatory for women, via misspelling of ladies'. Compare gents.

lading

Origin

Gerund of lade (verb). Cognate with Dutch lading (“cargo, charge”), German Ladung (“cargo, charge”), Polish ładunek (“cargo, charge”), Swedish laddning (“charge”). Doublet of loading.

ladle

Old English

From Old English hlædel, related to the word "lade" ("to load"), reflecting its scooping motion.

lady

Old English

From Old English hlæfdige, literally "loaf-kneader" — from hlaf ("bread, loaf") plus a word meaning "kneader". The same root as loaf. It is not related to "lad".

ladybird

Origin

From "lady" plus "bird" — the "lady" refers to the Virgin Mary, echoing old folk names in other European languages that also link the beetle to Mary.