Where does “lewdness” come from?
Lewdness derives from Middle English lewednesse, from Middle English -nesse, Old English -nes, Proto-Germanic -inassuz, ultimately from Proto-Germanic -inōną.
lewdness (English): The quality, state or instance of being lewd;...
Definitions
- The quality, state or instance of being lewd;...
Ancestry of “lewdness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | lewd | Lascivious, sexually promiscuous, rude; Lay; not... |
| 2 | Middle English | lewed | Unrelated to the church; non-priestly; lay;... |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | *laigo- | — |
| 4 | Latin | lāicus | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | λαϊκός | of the people; popular |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | λᾱός | people; men; the people |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | lāwós | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂wos | people |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂- | to bark, howl; to be concealed |