Where does “laus” come from?

laus (Tok Pisin) comes from English louse, from Middle English lous, from Old English lūs, from West Germanic *lūs, from Germanic *lūs, from Proto-Indo-European lewH- — louse.

laus (Tok Pisin): any external parasitic insect; flea; louse

Definitions

  1. any external parasitic insect; flea; louse

Ancestry of “laus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlouseA small parasitic wingless insect of the order...
2Middle Englishlouslouse; A person or thing worthy of contempt or...
3Old Englishlūslouse
4West Germanic*lūs—
5Germanic*lūs—
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanlewH-louse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewH- →Every word from Germanic *lūs →Every word from West Germanic *lūs →