Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “lough” come from?

lough (English) comes from Middle English lough, from Scottish Gaelic loch, from Old Irish loch, from Proto-Celtic loku, from Proto-Indo-European lókus — pond, pool.

lough (English): A lake or long, narrow inlet, especially in...

Definitions

  1. A lake or long, narrow inlet, especially in...

Ancestry of “lough”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishloughlake; loch
2Scottish Gaeliclochlake; arm of the sea; fjord
3Old Irishlochlake; inlet of the sea; black, dark
4Proto-Celticlokulake, pool
5Proto-Indo-Europeanlókuspond, pool
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lókus →