English
lamp
Lamp comes from Old French lampe ‘lamp, light’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *leh₂p- ‘to shine’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leh₂p-‘to shine’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλαμπάςlampás‘torch, lamp, beacon, light, meteor’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElampas‘torch, lamp, light’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CElampada
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400lampe‘lamp, light’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500laumpe‘a lamp or light’
- Englishearliest quotation 1988lamp
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leh₂p-‘to shine’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλαμπάςlampás‘torch, lamp, beacon, light, meteor’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElampas‘torch, lamp, light’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CElampada
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400lampe‘lamp, light’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500laumpe‘a lamp or light’
- Englishearliest quotation 1988lamp
Earliest quotation: 1988, Cold Lampin' With Flavor: “I'm in my Flavmobile cold lamping. I took a…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leh₂p- ‘to shine’
Today it means
noun A device that generates light, heat, or other electromagnetic radiation. Especially an electric light bulb.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leh₂p- / lamp