Where does “landlord” come from?
landlord (Middle English) comes from Old English landhlāford, from Old English hlāford, from Old English hlāfweard, from Old English weard, from Old English ōra, from Old English ēar, from Proto-Germanic ahaz, from Proto-Finnic ahtas — to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...
Ancestry of “landlord”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | landhlāford | landlord, lord of a manor |
| 2 | Old English | hlāford | lord |
| 3 | Old English | hlāfweard | lord, master, husband |
| 4 | Old English | weard | guard; guard, the action of looking out for... |
| 5 | Old English | ōra | ore, unwrought metal |
| 6 | Old English | ēar | sea, ocean; grave, earth |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | ahaz | ear |
| 8 | Proto-Finnic | ahtas | narrow, cramped |
| 9 | Proto-Baltic | anśtas | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énǵʰus | narrow, tight |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enǵʰ- | to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;... |