Where does “lav” come from?
lav (Danish) comes from Norwegian lav, from Old Norse lafa, from Proto-Germanic labēn-, from Proto-Indo-European leb- — to hang down loosely; lip; lick.
lav (Danish): low; guild; lichen
Ancestry of “lav”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Norwegian | lav | — |
| 2 | Old Norse | lafa | to dangle; hang loosely, dangle |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | labēn- | to dangle |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | leb- | to hang down loosely; lip; lick |