Etymology Explorer › Proto-West Germanic

Where does “*-laus” come from?

*-laus (Proto-West Germanic) comes from Proto-Germanic -lausaz, from Proto-Germanic lausaz, from Proto-Indo-European lewH- — louse.

Ancestry of “*-laus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanic-lausaz-less, lacking, devoid of
2Proto-Germaniclausazloose, free; empty, devoid; false, untrue
3Proto-Indo-EuropeanlewH-louse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewH- →