Etymograph

English

Looney

Looney comes from Irish Ó Luanaigh ‘descendant of Luanach’, from Middle Irish lúan ‘light, warrior's halo, warrior’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘to shine’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-‘to shine’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*lówksneh₂‘moon, shining thing’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*louxsnosreconstructed
  4. Old Irishc. 600–900lúan‘Monday’
  5. Middle Irishc. 900–1200same form‘light, warrior's halo, warrior’
  6. Irishc. 1200–presentÓ Luanaigh‘descendant of Luanach’
  7. EnglishtodayLooney

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-‘to shine’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*lówksneh₂‘moon, shining thing’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*louxsnosreconstructed
  4. Old Irishc. 600–900lúan‘Monday’
  5. Middle Irishc. 900–1200same form‘light, warrior's halo, warrior’
  6. Irishc. 1200–presentÓ Luanaigh‘descendant of Luanach’
  7. EnglishtodayLooney

The story

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Luanaigh (‘descendant of Luanach’), a personal name based on Middle Irish lúan (‘light, warrior's halo, warrior’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘to shine’

light, link, low, los, lucy, ounce, lea, lunatic, lux, illuminate, lucid, luminous, translucent, illumination, lumen, lynx, luce, luminosity, lumia, lum, luminary, luminescent, luminal, leucine, loach, 74 more

through Proto-Indo-European *lówksneh₂ ‘moon, shining thing’

lunar, luna, lune, 13 more

Today it means

name A surname from Irish.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *lewk- / Looney

Shirt and support for this word