Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “lac” come from?

lac (French) comes from Middle French lac, from Old French lác, from Latin lacus, from New Latin lacrimalis, from Latin lācrima, from Old Latin dacrima, from Proto-Italic *d(r)(k)akrunā, from Proto-Indo-European dáḱru- — eye bitter.

Ancestry of “lac”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchlac—
2Old Frenchlác—
3Latinlacusa lake, pond, basin; reservoir; a tank, tub, vat,...
4New Latinlacrimalis—
5Latinlācrima—
6Old Latindacrimatear
7Proto-Italic*d(r)(k)akrunā—
8Proto-Indo-Europeandáḱru-tears; tear
9Proto-Indo-Europeandr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru-eye bitter
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- →