Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “lamb” come from?

Lamb comes from Old English lamb, from Proto-Germanic lambaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁l̥h₁onbʰos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁elh₁én.

lamb (English): A young sheep; The flesh of a lamb or sheep used...

Definitions

  1. A young sheep; The flesh of a lamb or sheep used...

Ancestry of “lamb”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishlambA lamb, its meat, or its skin; A Christian...
2Old Englishlamblamb
3Proto-Germanic*lamb—
4Proto-Germaniclambazlamb
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁l̥h₁onbʰos—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁elh₁én—

Words derived from “lamb”

  • lambkin
  • lambskin
  • lamblike
  • lambie
  • lambswool
  • lambkill
  • lamber
  • lamby
  • lambling
  • lambchop
  • lamburger
  • lambless
  • lambfold
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁elh₁én →