Where does “laurel” come from?
Laurel comes from Middle English lorrer, though the ultimate origin and original meaning remain uncertain.
laurel (English): "Laurus nobilis", an evergreen shrub having...
Definitions
- "Laurus nobilis", an evergreen shrub having...
Ancestry of “laurel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | laurer | To crown, or decorate, with laurels |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | lorer | — |
| 3 | Old French | lorier | — |
| 4 | Old French | lor | to them; their |
| 5 | Latin | laurus | laurel tree; laurels; a crown of laurel |
| 6 | English | -aceous | Of, relating to, resembling or containing the... |
| 7 | Latin | -āceus | aceous; resembling, having the nature of, forming, belonging to |
| 8 | Latin | -āx | ish, -y |
| 9 | Latin | -ium | Suffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes... |
| 10 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 11 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |