Where does “loadstone” come from?
Loadstone comes from Middle English lode combined with Old English stān (stone), derived from Proto-Germanic stainaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- (to stand).
loadstone (English): Alternative form of lodestone
Definitions
- Alternative form of lodestone
Ancestry of “loadstone”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lodestone | A naturally occurring magnet; The mineral... |
| 2 | Middle English | lode | guide |
| 3 | Old English | lād | course, journey; way, street, waterway; leading,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *laidu | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | laidō | a leading; a way, course, route, direction |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leyt- | to scratch; to leave, die; to go, go forth, die |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |