Where does “loan” come from?
Loan comes from Middle English lane, borrowed from Old Norse lán, from Proto-Germanic laihną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European leykʷ-.
loan (English): An act or instance of lending, an act or instance...
Definitions
- An act or instance of lending, an act or instance...
Ancestry of “loan”, step by step
loan traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Scottish Gaelic lòn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Scottish Gaelic | lòn | pool |
| 2 | Middle Irish | lon | — |
| 3 | Old Irish | lón | fat; provision, food, victuals, sustenance; feast |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | *lawano- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lewH- | louse |
via Middle English lone
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lone | — |
| 2 | Old Norse | lán | loan; luck |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | laihną | that which is lent, loan; fief |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | leykʷ- | to leave |
Words derived from “loan”