Where does “lai” come from?
Lai derives from Old French lai, from Latin laicus, from Ancient Greek λαός, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "people" or "folk."
lai (English): A mostly North European medieval form of lyrical,...
Definitions
- A mostly North European medieval form of lyrical,...
Ancestry of “lai”, step by step
lai traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English lai
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lai | — |
| 2 | Old French | lai | lai; ugly |
| 3 | Latin | lacus | a lake, pond, basin; reservoir; a tank, tub, vat,... |
| 4 | New Latin | lacrimalis | — |
| 5 | Latin | lācrima | a tear drop of liquid from crying |
| 6 | Old Latin | dacrima | tear |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *d(r)(k)akrunā | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dáḱru- | tears; tear |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- | eye bitter |
via Chinese 賴
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chinese | 賴 | — |
| 2 | English | line | A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight |
| 3 | Middle English | line | rope, cord; line, rule, ruler, measure; rule,... |
| 4 | Old English | līne | line, rope, cord; line, cable, rope, hawser,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *līnā | line, chord, rope, string |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | līnǭ | that which is made of flax; line, chord, rope,... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | līną | flax |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | līno- | flax |
via Lai Lai
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lai | Lai | — |