English
laches
Laches comes from Old French lachesse ‘laxness’, and goes back to Latin laxo ‘relax, moderate, weaken’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElaxo‘relax, moderate, weaken’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CElaxicofrequentative of laxo
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400laschier
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400lachesse‘laxness’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400laches
- Englishearliest quotation 1849–1861same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history not traced here.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElaxo‘relax, moderate, weaken’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CElaxicofrequentative of laxo
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400laschier
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400lachesse‘laxness’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400laches
- Englishearliest quotation 1849–1861same form
Earliest quotation: 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, London: Longman: “It ill became him to take advantage of such…”
Linked words
through Latin laxo ‘relax, moderate, weaken’
lease, relaxation, relish, 3 more
through Old French laschier
Today it means
noun Negligence in one's duty.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin laxo / laches