Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “lord” come from?

lord (Middle English) comes 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, from Proto-Baltic anśtas — to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...

lord (Middle English): lord; Lord

Definitions

  1. lord; Lord

Ancestry of “lord”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhlāfordlord
2Old Englishhlāfweardlord, master, husband
3Old Englishweardguard; guard, the action of looking out for...
4Old Englishōraore, unwrought metal
5Old Englishēarsea, ocean; grave, earth
6Proto-Germanicahazear
7Proto-Finnicahtasnarrow, cramped
8Proto-Balticanśtas—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂énǵʰusnarrow, tight
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enǵʰ-to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...

Words derived from “lord”

  • lord
  • lordship
  • lat
  • laird
  • warlord
  • overlord
  • overlordship
  • milord
  • lats
  • warlordism
  • lordling
  • lairdship
  • druglord
  • lordlike
  • lordeth
  • ganglord
  • belord
  • dragonlord
  • lordolatry
  • moneylord
  • lordkin
  • unlord
  • lordhood
  • lordish
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂enǵʰ- →