Where does “lair” come from?

lair (Middle English) comes from Old English leġer, from Old Norse legr, from Proto-Germanic legrą, from Proto-Indo-European legʰ- — to lie.

Ancestry of “lair”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishleġercouch, bed
2Old Norselegr—
3Proto-Germaniclegrąa lying, a place where one lies; camp
4Proto-Indo-Europeanlegʰ-to lie
Every word from Proto-Indo-European legʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic legrą →Every word from Old Norse legr →
lair — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer