Where does “loose” come from?
Loose comes from Middle English los, from Old Norse lauss meaning free or unbound, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lēw- meaning to loosen.
loose (English): To let loose, to free from restraints; To...
Definitions
- To let loose, to free from restraints; To...
Ancestry of “loose”, step by step
loose traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English lose
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lose | To cause to cease to be in one's possession or... |
| 2 | German | Nikolaus | a representation of St. Nicholas; the day of 6th... |
| 3 | Latin | Nīcolāus | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Νικόλαος | Nicolas |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | λᾱός | people; men; the people |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | lāwós | people, crowd |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂wos | people |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂- | to bark, howl; to be concealed |