Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “lotus” come from?

Lotus comes from Latin lotus, derived from Latin lavo meaning "to wash," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lewh₃- meaning "to wash" or "to bathe."

lotus (English): A kind of aquatic plant, genus "Nelumbo" in the...

Definitions

  1. A kind of aquatic plant, genus "Nelumbo" in the...

Ancestry of “lotus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinlotuswashed, bathed, having been washed; elegant,...
2Latinlavarepresent active infinitive of lavō; second-person...
3LatinlavoI wash, bathe; I wet, moisten
4Proto-Italiclawaō—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanléwh₃eti—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlewh₃-to wash

Words derived from “lotus”

  • loti
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewh₃- →