Where does “laken” come from?
laken (Afrikaans) comes from Dutch laken, from Middle Dutch lāken, from Middle Dutch lac, from Old Dutch laka, from Proto-West Germanic laku, from Finnish lakritsi, from Swedish lakrits, from Late Latin liquiritia.
laken (Afrikaans): sheet, bedsheet
Ancestry of “laken”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | laken | a type of woollen fabric, very sought-after for... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | lāken | — |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | lac | deficiency |
| 4 | Old Dutch | laka | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | laku | stream; pool, lake |
| 6 | Finnish | lakritsi | licorice, liquorice |
| 7 | Swedish | lakrits | licorice/liquorice |
| 8 | Late Latin | liquiritia | — |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | γλυκύρριζα | licorice |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | γλυκύς | sweet |
| 11 | Proto-Hellenic | *dlukús | — |