Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Lisp” come from?

Lisp (English) comes from Middle English lispen, from Old English wlispian, from Old English wlisp, from Proto-Germanic wlispaz, from Proto-Indo-European wlis-, from Proto-Indo-European wēl-.

Ancestry of “Lisp”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishlispen—
2Old Englishwlispian—
3Old Englishwlisplisping; stammering
4Proto-Germanicwlispazstammering; lisping
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwlis-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwēl-—

Words derived from “Lisp”

  • Lisper
  • Lisplike
  • Lispish
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wēl- →