Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “lout” come from?

Lout comes from Middle English louten, from Old English lūtan, from Proto-Germanic lūtaną, from Proto-Indo-European lewd-, meaning to bend or bow.

lout (English): A troublemaker, often violent; a rude violent...

Definitions

  1. A troublemaker, often violent; a rude violent...

Ancestry of “lout”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishloutenTo bow; to lower oneself in prostration or...
2Old Englishlūtanbend, stoop; to lout, to bow, to stoop, to bend
3Proto-Germaniclūtanąto bow down, lout
4Proto-Indo-Europeanlewd-to duck; feign; be low; be small; to cower, hunch...

Words derived from “lout”

  • loutish
  • loutishness
  • loutishly
  • louty
  • belout
  • loutsome
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewd- →