Where does “lack” come from?

lack (Swedish) comes from French lacque, from Portuguese laca, from Persian لاک, from Urdu لاکھ, from Maharastri Prakrit 𑀮𑀓𑁆𑀔, from Sanskrit लक्ष, from Sanskrit लक्ष्, from Sanskrit रक्ष् — to protect.

lack (Swedish): lacquer

Definitions

  1. lacquer

Ancestry of “lack”, step by step

lack traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French lacque

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchlacquea sort of sealing wax
2Portugueselacalake; lac
3Persianلاکtrough, wooden vessel
4Urduلاکھlakh, lac
5Maharastri Prakrit𑀮𑀓𑁆𑀔
6Sanskritलक्षa mark, sign, token; a mark to aim at, target,...
7Sanskritलक्ष्perceive, observe; recognise; to mark, sign
8Sanskritरक्ष्to protect, guard, watch, take care of, save,...
9Proto-Indo-AryanHrakṣ-
10Proto-Indo-IranianHrakš-
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂lek-to protect

via French lacre

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchlacresealing wax

Words derived from “lack

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂lek-