Where does “lai” come from?
lai (Old French) comes 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.
lai (Old French): lai; ugly
Definitions
- lai; ugly
Ancestry of “lai”, step by step
lai traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin lacus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | lacus | a lake, pond, basin; reservoir; a tank, tub, vat,... |
| 2 | New Latin | lacrimalis | — |
| 3 | Latin | lācrima | a tear drop of liquid from crying |
| 4 | Old Latin | dacrima | tear |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | *d(r)(k)akrunā | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dáḱru- | tears; tear |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- | eye bitter |
via Latin lāicus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | lāicus | lay (of the laity) |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | λαϊκός | of the people; popular |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | λᾱός | people; men; the people |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | lāwós | people, crowd |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂wos | people |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂- | to bark, howl; to be concealed |
via Vulgar Latin laitus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vulgar Latin | laitus | unpleasant, ugly; unpleasant, disgusting, ugly |
| 2 | Frankish | laiþ | unpleasant, obstinate, odious; unpleasant,... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | laiþaz | loath; loathsome; disgusting; unwilling; averse;... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | leyt- | to scratch; to leave, die; to go, go forth, die |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |