Etymology Explorer › Irish

Where does “loch” come from?

loch (Irish) comes from Old Irish loch, from Proto-Celtic loku, from Proto-Indo-European lókus — pond, pool.

loch (Irish): lake

Definitions

  1. lake

Ancestry of “loch”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Irishlochlake; inlet of the sea; black, dark
2Proto-Celticlokulake, pool
3Proto-Indo-Europeanlókuspond, pool

Words derived from “loch”

  • lough
  • turlough
  • lochán
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lókus →