Where does “layaway” come from?

layaway (English) comes from English lay, from English Lee, from Irish Laoi, from Middle Irish láed, from English loid, from English celluloid, from English -oid, from Latin -oides — watcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout.

layaway (English): Things which have had a deposit placed on them...

Definitions

  1. Things which have had a deposit placed on them...

Ancestry of “layaway”, step by step

layaway traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English lay

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlayTo place down in a position of rest, or in a...
2EnglishLeefor someone who lived near a meadow (the Anglo-Saxon for meadow being ley or leag)
3IrishLaoilay, song
4Middle Irishláed
5EnglishloidA lock-picking tool made from a piece of...
6EnglishcelluloidAny of a variety of thermoplastics created from...
7English-oidOf similar form to, but not the same as. Having...
8Latin-oides-like, -form
9Greek-οending for accusative singular forms (eg δρόμος, ψήφος); and some vocative singular forms
10Ancient GreekεἶδοςThat which is seen: form, image, shape;...
11Spanish-scopio-scope
12Latin-scopium
13Ancient GreekσκοπέωI look, look at, behold; I examine, inspect; 413...
14Ancient Greekσκοπόςwatcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout

via English away

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishawayFrom a place, hence; Aside; off; in another...
2Middle EnglishawayOut, away , off; Sideways, to a side
3Proto-Indo-Europeanaweg
Every word from Ancient Greek σκοπός