Where does “loitering” come from?
Loitering comes from Middle English loitren, from Middle Dutch loteren, from Proto-Germanic lūtaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lewd-.
loitering (English): present participle of loiter; The action of the...
Definitions
- present participle of loiter; The action of the...
Ancestry of “loitering”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | loiter | To stand about without any aim or purpose; to... |
| 2 | Middle English | loitren | — |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | loteren | to shake, wag, wobble |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lūtaną | to bow down, lout |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lewd- | to duck; feign; be low; be small; to cower, hunch... |
Words derived from “loitering”