loon

loon · noun¹

1. Middle English · inherited fromlouen
2. English todayloon

From Middle English louen, lowen (“rascal; rogue”), probably of Middle Dutch or Middle Low German origin. Compare Dutch loen (“simpleton”). Or, related to etymology 2, due to the bird's loud cry. Folk etymology associates it slang-wise with lunatic, though the latter may have influenced it; see loony.

loon · noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*leh₂-
2. Old Norse · derived fromlómr“loon”
3. North Germanic · derived from
4. English todayloon

Of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse lómr (“loon”), ultimately imitative of the bird's cry, particularly when it's in danger. Distantly related to lament, probably sharing Proto-Indo-European *leh₂- (expressive root).

Words from the same roots