English

LIDAR

Acronym of light detection and ranging.

Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘to shine’

…

Proto-Germanic *leuhtą

Proto-West Germanic *leuht ‘light’

Old English lēoht

Middle English light ‘light, illumination’

English light

Vulgar Latin *rencus ‘row’

Old French reng ‘place’

Old French rengier ‘to line up’

Middle English rengen

English range

English radar

The story

The lowercase form (lidar) is by anacronymic evolution.

noun —

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.