Where does “lane” come from?

Lane comes from Middle English lane, from Old Norse lán, from Proto-Germanic laihną, from Proto-Indo-European leykʷ-, meaning to leave or make a gap.

lane (English): A road, street, or similar thoroughfare; A narrow...

Definitions

  1. A road, street, or similar thoroughfare; A narrow...

Ancestry of “lane”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishlanelane, alley narrow passage between buildings
2Old Englishlanelane, narrow path
3Proto-West Germaniclanulane, passageway
4Proto-Germaniclanōlane, passageway

Words derived from “lane”

Every word from Proto-Germanic lanō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic lanu →Every word from Old English lane →
lane — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer