Where does “lots” come from?
lots (Middle Low German) comes from Middle English lodesman, from Old English lādmann, from Old English lād, from Proto-West Germanic *laidu, from Proto-Germanic laidō, from Proto-Indo-European leyt-, from Proto-Indo-European lēy- — to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave...
Ancestry of “lots”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lodesman | pilot |
| 2 | Old English | lādmann | guide; a leader, guide |
| 3 | Old English | lād | course, journey; way, street, waterway; leading,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *laidu | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | laidō | a leading; a way, course, route, direction |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leyt- | to scratch; to leave, die; to go, go forth, die |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |