English
ladder
Ladder comes from Old English hlǣder ‘ladder’, from Proto-Germanic *hlaidrijō, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- ‘to lean’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱley-‘to lean’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hlaidrijōreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hlaidrijureconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hlǣder‘ladder’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ladder‘ladder’
- Englishearliest quotation 1851same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱley-‘to lean’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hlaidrijōreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hlaidrijureconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hlǣder‘ladder’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ladder‘ladder’
- Englishearliest quotation 1851same form
Earliest quotation: 1851, James Fenimore Cooper, Chapter XXIII: “The form of a man was seen to enter,…”
The story
Further cognates include Ashkun istrī, Kamkata-viri c̣ik, Prasuni čik, čix; Waigali c̣iř, Sanskrit श्रिति (śrití).
Linked words
pairs
- ladder and climax both from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- ‘to lean’
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- ‘to lean’
low, law, climate, decline, lean, lid, inclination, incline, eyelid, clinician, cline, proclivity, declination, declension, 26 more
Today it means
noun A frame, usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, used for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened rungs (cross strips or rounds acting as steps).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- / ladder