Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “lūcre” come from?

lūcre (Middle English) comes from Latin lucrum, from Proto-Indo-European leh₂w- — to seize, gain; benefit, prize.

Ancestry of “lūcre”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinlucrumprofit, advantage; love of gain, avarice
2Proto-Indo-Europeanleh₂w-to seize, gain; benefit, prize

Words derived from “lūcre”

  • lucre
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leh₂w- →