Where does “laver” come from?
Laver comes from Middle English lever, derived from Middle English leef, from Latin levator, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European lewh₃- meaning to wash.
laver (English): A red alga/seaweed, Porphyra umbilicalis (syn. Porphyra laciniata), eaten as a vegetable
Definitions
- A red alga/seaweed, Porphyra umbilicalis (syn. Porphyra laciniata), eaten as a vegetable
Ancestry of “laver”, step by step
laver traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English laver
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | laver | Alternative form of lavour |
| 2 | Old French | laveoir | — |
| 3 | Latin | lavatōrium | A washroom or -place, a lavatorium |
| 4 | Latin | -torium | nominative neuter singular of -tōrius; accusative... |
| 5 | Latin | -tōrius | ory |
| 6 | Latin | -tor | -er |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -tōr | Forms agent nouns to verb stems |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tōr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -tor-s | — |
via English lave
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lave | To pour or throw out, as water; lade out; bail;... |
| 2 | Middle English | lave | Alternative form of laven; remainder, rest, that... |
| 3 | Old Norse | lafa | to dangle; hang loosely, dangle |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | labēn- | to dangle |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | leb- | to hang down loosely; lip; lick |