Where does “laird” come from?
Laird derives from Scots laird, from Middle English laverd and lord, from Old English hlāfweard, a compound of hlāf (loaf) and wardō (ward), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer- (to turn or guard).
laird (English): The owner of a Scottish estate; a member of the...
Definitions
- The owner of a Scottish estate; a member of the...
Ancestry of “laird”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scots | laird | a lord or land owner |
| 2 | Middle English | lard | Bacon; fatty cured pork |
| 3 | Middle English | lord | lord; Lord |
| 4 | Old English | hlāford | lord |
| 5 | Old English | hlāfweard | lord, master, husband |
| 6 | Old English | weard | guard; guard, the action of looking out for... |
| 7 | Old English | ōra | ore, unwrought metal |
| 8 | Old English | ēar | sea, ocean; grave, earth |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | ahaz | ear |
| 10 | Proto-Finnic | ahtas | narrow, cramped |
| 11 | Proto-Baltic | anśtas | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énǵʰus | narrow, tight |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enǵʰ- | to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;... |