English
laika
Laika comes from Russian ла́йка, from ла́ять ‘to bark (like a dog)’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leh₂-‘to bark, howl’reconstructed
- Proto-Balto-Slavicc. 2000–500 BCE*lā́ˀtei‘to bark’reconstructed
- Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*làjati‘to bark’reconstructed
- Old East Slavicmodernлаꙗти‘to bark, to scold’
- Russianmodernла́ять‘to bark (like a dog)’
- Russian, derivedmodernлай
- Russian, derivedmodernла́йкаlájkaliterally ‘barker’
- Englishearliest quotation 1957laika
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leh₂-‘to bark, howl’reconstructed
- Proto-Balto-Slavicc. 2000–500 BCE*lā́ˀtei‘to bark’reconstructed
- Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*làjati‘to bark’reconstructed
- Old East Slavicmodernлаꙗти‘to bark, to scold’
- Russianmodernла́ять‘to bark (like a dog)’
- Russian, derivedmodernлай
- Russian, derivedmodernла́йкаlájkaliterally ‘barker’
- Englishearliest quotation 1957laika
Earliest quotation: 1957, The New Yorker: “Q—The Russians picked a laika to occupy the space…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leh₂- ‘to bark, howl’
loom, lull, latent, lament, lethargic, loll, lethe, alastor, 16 more
Today it means
noun A type of hunting dog from Russia.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leh₂- / laika