Where does “loon” come from?
Loon comes from Old Norse lómr, from Proto-Germanic lōmaz, from Proto-Germanic hlōaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kelh₁- meaning to strike or resound.
loon (English): An idler, a lout; A boy, a lad; A harlot;...
Definitions
- An idler, a lout; A boy, a lad; A harlot;...
Ancestry of “loon”, step by step
loon traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English louen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | louen | to low |
| 2 | Middle English | loue | Alternative form of lah |
| 3 | Middle English | lah | low |
| 4 | Old Norse | lágr | low; short |
| 5 | German | lager | first-person singular present of lagern; singular... |
| 6 | Middle High German | leger | — |
| 7 | Old High German | legar | — |
| 8 | Old Norse | legr | — |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | legrą | a lying, a place where one lies; camp |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | legʰ- | to lie |