Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “loonsome” come from?

loonsome (English) comes from English loon, from Middle English louen, from Middle English loue, from Middle English lah, from Old Norse lágr, from German lager, from Middle High German leger, from Old High German legar — to lie.

loonsome (English): lonesome; Characteristic of a loon or marked by...

Definitions

  1. lonesome; Characteristic of a loon or marked by...

Ancestry of “loonsome”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishloonAn idler, a lout; A boy, a lad; A harlot;...
2Middle Englishlouento low
3Middle EnglishloueAlternative form of lah
4Middle Englishlahlow
5Old Norselágrlow; short
6Germanlagerfirst-person singular present of lagern; singular...
7Middle High Germanleger—
8Old High Germanlegar—
9Old Norselegr—
10Proto-Germaniclegrąa lying, a place where one lies; camp
11Proto-Indo-Europeanlegʰ-to lie
Every word from Proto-Indo-European legʰ- →