English
litter
Litter comes from Latin lectus ‘bed’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*legʰ-‘to lie’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElectus‘bed’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1325litter
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*legʰ-‘to lie’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElectus‘bed’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1325litter
Earliest quotation: a. 1325, Cursor Mundi: “Quen he had made me hale and fere”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie’
law, low, college, legal, fellow, lay, lie, lawyer, legacy, log, loyal, layer, colleague, delegation, delegate, lex, ledge, lawless, collegiate, lair, lees, leal, collegium, legate, leaguer, lagan, underlay, lig, lias, 23 more
through Latin lectus ‘bed’
Today it means
noun Straw, grass, and similar loose material used as bedding for people or animals.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- / litter