Where does “lap” come from?

lap (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch lap, from Proto-Germanic lappa-, from Proto-Indo-European leb- — to hang down loosely; lip; lick.

Ancestry of “lap”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Dutchlap—
2Proto-Germaniclappa-—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanleb-to hang down loosely; lip; lick

Words derived from “lap”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European leb- →Every word from Proto-Germanic lappa- →Every word from Old Dutch lap →