Where does “loosen” come from?
Loosen comes from Middle English -en combined with Old Norse lauss, which derives from Latin laus, tracing ultimately to Proto-Indo-European lēwt-.
loosen (English): To make loose; To become loose; To disengage
Definitions
- To make loose; To become loose; To disengage
Ancestry of “loosen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | loose | To let loose, to free from restraints; To... |
| 2 | English | lose | To cause to cease to be in one's possession or... |
| 3 | German | Nikolaus | a representation of St. Nicholas; the day of 6th... |
| 4 | Latin | Nīcolāus | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Νικόλαος | Nicolas |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | λᾱός | people; men; the people |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | lāwós | people, crowd |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂wos | people |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂- | to bark, howl; to be concealed |