Etymology Explorer › Middle Low German

Where does “laken” come from?

laken (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon lakan, from Proto-Germanic lakaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)leh₂g- — to be slack; be limp; droop; sag.

Ancestry of “laken”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Saxonlakan—
2Proto-Germaniclakanąlinen; cloth; sheet
3Proto-Indo-European(s)leh₂g-to be slack; be limp; droop; sag

Words derived from “laken”

  • Bettlaken
  • Laken
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)leh₂g- →