loord

The story

1. Late Latin · derived fromlurdus
2. Old French · derived fromlourt
3. Middle French · derived fromlourd“heavy”
4. Middle French · derived fromlourdin“dull, obvious; clownish”
5. English todayloord

Likely from Middle French lourdin (“dull, obvious; clownish”) (related to lourdat (“dunce”), lourdade (“wench”)), from Middle French lourd (“heavy”), from Old French lourt, from Late Latin lurdus, possibly of Germanic origin. Cognate with Dutch loerd, French lourdant, Scottish Gaelic lurdan, this last apparently possessing a more knavish, roguish sense. Another etymology mentioned by Samuel Johnson is that the word may derive from the Gascon town of Lourdes (earlier called Lorde or Lourde) in Southern France, at one time known for being home to unskillful robbers; the characterization of the robbers as unusually awkward and heavy lending to the preexisting Latin word.

Words from the same roots