Where does “lap dance” come from?

lap dance (English) comes from English lap, from Middle English lappen, from Old English lapian, from Tagalog lapi, from Spanish lápiz, from Italian lapis, from Latin lapis, from Proto-Italic *lapets — stone.

lap dance (English): An erotic form of entertainment, typically at a...

Definitions

  1. An erotic form of entertainment, typically at a...

Ancestry of “lap dance”, step by step

lap dance traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English lap

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlapThe loose part of a coat; the lower part of a...
2Middle Englishlappento wrap, fold
3Old Englishlapianto lick, lap up, suck
4Tagaloglapijoining or attaching a part to a whole; affix
5Spanishlápizpencil
6Italianlapispencil; sanguine
7Latinlapisa stone; a milestone; a boundary stone
8Proto-Italic*lapetsstone

via English dance

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdanceA sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually...
2Middle EnglishdauncenTo dance, be in a dance; To move about in a rapid...
3Anglo-Normandauncer
Every word from Proto-Italic *lapets