Where does “lose” come from?
Lose comes from Old French los, from Latin laxus meaning loose or slack, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lewH- meaning to loosen.
lose (English): To cause to cease to be in one's possession or...
Definitions
- To cause to cease to be in one's possession or...
Ancestry of “lose”, step by step
lose traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Nikolaus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Nikolaus | a representation of St. Nicholas; the day of 6th... |
| 2 | Latin | Nīcolāus | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | Νικόλαος | Nicolas |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | λᾱός | people; men; the people |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | lāwós | people, crowd |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂wos | people |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂- | to bark, howl; to be concealed |
via Middle English losen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | losen | to loose |
| 2 | Old English | losian | to be lost; stray; to die; perish; be destroyed;... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | lusōną | to loosen, to free |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lusą | loss |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lewHs- | to cut; sever; loose; lose; to cut loose; sever;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lewH- | louse |