Etymology Explorer › Middle English

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

  1. Alternative form of leie: simple past of lien

Ancestry of “lay”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchlailai; ugly
2Latinlacusa lake, pond, basin; reservoir; a tank, tub, vat,...
3New Latinlacrimalis—
4Latinlācrima—
5Old Latindacrimatear
6Proto-Italic*d(r)(k)akrunā—
7Proto-Indo-Europeandáḱru-tears; tear
8Proto-Indo-Europeandr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru-eye bitter

Words derived from “lay”

  • lai
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- →