lather

lather · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*lówh₃trom“that which is used for washing”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*lauþrą“that which is used for washing, soap”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*lauþr
4. Old English · inherited fromlēaþor“a kind of nitre used for soap, soda”
5. Middle English · inherited fromlather
6. English todaylather

From Middle English lather, from Old English lēaþor (“a kind of nitre used for soap, soda”), from Proto-West Germanic *lauþr, from Proto-Germanic *lauþrą (“that which is used for washing, soap”), from Proto-Indo-European *lówh₃trom (“that which is used for washing”), from *lewh₃-, *lowh₃- (“to wash, bathe”). Cognate with Swedish lödder (“lather, foam, froth, soap”), Icelandic löður (“foam, froth, a kind of niter used for soap”), Old Irish loathar (“wash-basin”), Ancient Greek λουτρόν (loutrón, “a bath, wash-room”), Latin lavō (“to wash”), Albanian laj (“to wash”), Ancient Greek λούω (loúō). More at lye. Compare typologically Russian мы́ло (mýlo) (a nomen instrumenti of мыть (mytʹ)).

lather · verb²

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*lauþrijaną“to soap, wash”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*lauþrijan
3. Old English · inherited fromlīeþran
4. Middle English · inherited fromletheren
5. English todaylather

From Middle English letheren, from Old English līeþran, from Proto-West Germanic *lauþrijan, from Proto-Germanic *lauþrijaną (“to soap, wash”). Cognate with Old Norse leyðra (“to wash, lather”).

Words from the same roots