Where does “lamprey” come from?
Lamprey comes from Middle English laumprei, from Old French lampreie, from Medieval Latin lampreda, from Late Latin lampetra, ultimately from Latin petra meaning stone, from Ancient Greek πέτρα, from Proto-Indo-European leh₂b-.
lamprey (English): Any long slender primitive eel-like freshwater...
Definitions
- Any long slender primitive eel-like freshwater...
Ancestry of “lamprey”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | laumprei | The lamprey (an elongated, jawless fish, especially one eaten as food) |
| 2 | Old French | lampreie | lamprey |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | lampreda | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | lampetra | lamprey |
| 5 | Latin | lambere | third-person plural perfect active indicative of... |
| 6 | Latin | lambo | I lick, lap; I taste |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂b- | to hang loosely; to lap, lick |