English
forelock
Forelock comes from Old English forelocc ‘a forelock’, from locc ‘lock (of hair)’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewg- ‘to bend’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewg-‘to bend’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*lugnósreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lukkaz‘lock (of hair)’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*lukkreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150locc‘lock (of hair)’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150forelocc‘a forelock’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*forelockreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1667forelock
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewg-‘to bend’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*lugnósreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lukkaz‘lock (of hair)’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*lukkreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150locc‘lock (of hair)’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150forelocc‘a forelock’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*forelockreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1667forelock
Earliest quotation: 1667, John Milton, Book IV: “His fair large front and eye sublime declared Absolute…”
Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘before, formerly’
Proto-Germanic *fura- ‘before, in front of, for’
Proto-West Germanic *forē- ‘before, in front of, fore-, pre-’
English fore-
Proto-Indo-European *lewg- ‘to bend’
Proto-Germanic *luką
Proto-West Germanic *lok ‘shutter’
Old English loc
Middle English lok
English lock
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *lewg- ‘to bend’
Another origin of forelock
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500forelok
- Englishtodayforelock
Today it means
noun The part of a person's hairstyle which covers the forehead.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *lewg- / forelock