Where does “look” come from?

Look comes from Middle English loken, from Old English lōcian, from Proto-West Germanic lōkōn, of uncertain origin.

look (English): To try to see, to pay attention to with one’s...

Definitions

  1. To try to see, to pay attention to with one’s...

Ancestry of “look”, step by step

look traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English loken

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishlokento look
2Old Englishlōcianto look, see; to see, behold, look, gaze,...
3Proto-West Germaniclōkōnto look, see

via Middle English lokien

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishlokien

Words derived from “look

Every word from Proto-West Germanic lōkōnEvery word from Old English lōcianEvery word from Middle English loken