English
laager
Laager comes from Dutch lager ‘camp’, from German Lager ‘place where one sleeps, such as a bed or a…’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to be situated, lie’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*legʰ-‘to be situated, lie’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*legrą‘a lying, a place where one lies’reconstructed
- Old High Germanc. 750–1050legar
- Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350leger
- Germanc. 1650–presentLager‘place where one sleeps, such as a bed or a spot in a barn, etc’
- Dutchc. 1500–presentlager‘camp’
- Englishearliest quotation 1897laager
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*legʰ-‘to be situated, lie’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*legrą‘a lying, a place where one lies’reconstructed
- Old High Germanc. 750–1050legar
- Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350leger
- Germanc. 1650–presentLager‘place where one sleeps, such as a bed or a spot in a barn, etc’
- Dutchc. 1500–presentlager‘camp’
- Englishearliest quotation 1897laager
Earliest quotation: 1897, James Bryce: “Wagons […] can be readily formed into a laager,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to be situated, lie’
low, law, legal, college, lie, fellow, legacy, log, lay, loyal, lawyer, delegation, layer, colleague, delegate, lex, litter, collegiate, ledge, lawless, lees, legate, lig, leal, collegium, lias, underlay, lagan, 22 more
through Proto-Germanic *legrą ‘a lying, a place where one lies’
through German Lager ‘place where one sleeps, such as a bed or a…’
Today it means
noun A defensive encampment encircled by wagons, especially by South African Boers.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- / laager