Where does “loiter” come from?

Loiter comes from Middle English loitren, from Middle Dutch loteren, from Proto-Germanic lūtaną, from Proto-Indo-European lewd-.

loiter (English): To stand about without any aim or purpose; to...

Definitions

  1. To stand about without any aim or purpose; to...

Ancestry of “loiter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishloitren—
2Middle Dutchloterento shake, wag, wobble
3Proto-Germaniclūtanąto bow down, lout
4Proto-Indo-Europeanlewd-to duck; feign; be low; be small; to cower, hunch...

Words derived from “loiter”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewd- →Every word from Proto-Germanic lūtaną →Every word from Middle Dutch loteren →