Where does “Laus” come from?

Laus (Pennsylvania German) comes from Middle High German lūs, from Old High German lūs, from Proto-West Germanic lus, from Proto-Germanic lūs, from Proto-Indo-European lewH- — louse.

Laus (Pennsylvania German): louse

Definitions

  1. louse

Ancestry of “Laus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanlūsa louse
2Old High Germanlūs—
3Proto-West Germanicluslouse
4Proto-Germaniclūslouse
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanlewH-louse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewH- →Every word from Proto-Germanic lūs →Every word from Proto-West Germanic lus →