Where does “lay” come from?
lay (Middle English) comes from Old French lai, from Latin lacus, from New Latin lacrimalis, from Latin lācrima, from Old Latin dacrima, from Proto-Italic *d(r)(k)akrunā, from Proto-Indo-European dáḱru-, from Proto-Indo-European dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- — eye bitter.
lay (Middle English): Alternative form of leie: simple past of lien
Definitions
- Alternative form of leie: simple past of lien
Ancestry of “lay”, step by step
lay traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French lai
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | lai | lai; ugly |
| 2 | Latin | lacus | a lake, pond, basin; reservoir; a tank, tub, vat,... |
| 3 | New Latin | lacrimalis | — |
| 4 | Latin | lācrima | a tear drop of liquid from crying |
| 5 | Old Latin | dacrima | tear |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | *d(r)(k)akrunā | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dáḱru- | tears; tear |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- | eye bitter |