Where does “onlay” come from?

onlay (English) comes from English lay, from English Lee, from Irish Laoi, from Middle Irish láed, from English loid, from English celluloid, from English -oid, from Latin -oides — watcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout.

onlay (English): To lay or place something on a surface; A...

Definitions

  1. To lay or place something on a surface; A...

Ancestry of “onlay”, step by step

onlay traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English lay

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlayTo place down in a position of rest, or in a...
2EnglishLeefor someone who lived near a meadow (the Anglo-Saxon for meadow being ley or leag)
3IrishLaoilay, song
4Middle Irishláed
5EnglishloidA lock-picking tool made from a piece of...
6EnglishcelluloidAny of a variety of thermoplastics created from...
7English-oidOf similar form to, but not the same as. Having...
8Latin-oides-like, -form
9Greek-οending for accusative singular forms (eg δρόμος, ψήφος); and some vocative singular forms
10Ancient GreekεἶδοςThat which is seen: form, image, shape;...
11Spanish-scopio-scope
12Latin-scopium
13Ancient GreekσκοπέωI look, look at, behold; I examine, inspect; 413...
14Ancient Greekσκοπόςwatcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout

via English on

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishonIn the state of being active, functioning or...
2Middle Englishonon, in; on; Alternative form of oon
3Old Englishonon, in, at, among; from
4Proto-West Germanicanaon
5Proto-Germanic*an
6Proto-Germanicanaon, at; on, onto; ana
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

via Middle English onleien

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishonleien
Every word from Ancient Greek σκοπός