Where does “lair” come from?
Lair is an English word of uncertain origin, possibly related to lehr through Proto-Indo-European legʰ-, though the semantic connection remains unclear.
lair (English): A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave...
Definitions
- A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave...
Ancestry of “lair”, step by step
lair traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English lairy
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lairy | Touchy, aggressive or confrontational, usually... |
| 2 | English | leery | Cautious, suspicious, wary, hesitant, or nervous... |
| 3 | English | leer | To look sideways or obliquely; now especially... |
| 4 | Middle English | lere | empty; Alternative form of lore |
| 5 | Old English | lār | teaching; doctrine; lore, learning, science, art... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | laiʀu | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | laizō | teaching; lore; doctrine |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | laizijaną | to teach |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | loyséyeti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | leys | to trace; to track |