Etymology — The origins of English words

lettice

Origin

A medieval vernacular form of Letitia.

loreto

Origin

Borrowed from Spanish Loreto, ultimately from Latin laurus.

kurd

Origin

Attested in English since roughly 1600, from Kurdish کورد (kurd) and Classical Persian کُرْد (kurd), from Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (gurd /⁠kurd⁠/), ultimately of unknown origin. More at Kurds.

kraal

Origin

From colonial Dutch kraal, from Portuguese curral. Doublet of corral.

martyrize

Origin

From martyr + -ize.

llewelyn

Origin

From Welsh Llywelyn.

lemniscus

Origin

Borrowed from Latin lēmniscus (“pendent ribbon”), from Ancient Greek λημνῐ́σκος (lēmnĭ́skos), from Λῆμνος (Lêmnos, “a Greek island Lemnos”) + -ίσκος (-ískos, “noun-forming diminutive suffix”).

litigant

Origin

From French litigant, from Middle French, from Latin litigans.

lanier

Origin

From late Middle English lainer, lainere, lanyer, from Old French laniere, lasniere (“thong, lash”) (see modern French lanière (“lanyard, strap”)).

klick

Origin

* Most likely a pseudo-condensed pronunciation of kilometer, being a suitably short word emphasizing k+l instead of /keɪ/ alone (the same principle as with military spelling alphabets, but also clearly distinguished from kilo (/kiːloʊ/) for kilogram). * Possibly onomatopoeic of the sound of a military odometer. When a soldier would complete a mark, they would signal to their commander and denote movement of 1,000 meters by hoisting up their rifle and moving the gas regulator with their thumb, which made a "click" the commander could hear.

manpowered

Origin

From man + powered.

largifluous

Origin

From Latin largifluus + -ous.

malignment

Origin

From malign + -ment.

mammock

Origin

From mam (of obscure origin) + -ock (diminutive suffix).

laotian

Origin

From Laos + -ian, or after French laotien.

knuckleheaded

Origin

From knuckle + headed.

mannerly

Origin

From Middle English manerely, equivalent to manner + -ly.

kolton

Origin

Re-spelling of Colton.

lamentably

Origin

From Middle English lamentably, equivalent to lamentable + -ly.

malignity

Origin

From Middle English malignete, malignitee, malignyte, malyngnite, from Middle French maligneté, from Latin malignitās. By surface analysis, malign + -ity. * (a group of goblins): Coined by David Malki in the 30 October 2009 Wondermark webcomic strip “Supernatural Collective Nouns”.

lentous

Origin

From Latin lentus. See lentor.

lautitious

Origin

1640s, Latin lautitia ("elegance, magnificence, splendor") nominalized from past participle of lavare (to wash): lautus ("washed, bathed"), see lave.

latria

Origin

From Late Latin, from Ancient Greek λατρεία (latreía, “service,” “worship”), from λατρευειν (latreuein, “wait on,” “serve with prayer”).

lucifugous

Origin

From Latin lucifugus (“light-fleeing”), from lucere (“to shine”) + fugere (“to flee”). By surface analysis, luci- + -fugous.