English
loafer
Perhaps short for landloafer, possibly a partial translation of German Landläufer (compare dialectal German loofen (“to run”), and English landlouper); or more likely connected to Middle English love, loove, loffinge, looffinge (“a remnant, the rest, that which remains or lingers”), from Old English lāf (“remainder, residue, what is left”) (more at lave), which is akin to Scots lave (“the rest, remainder”), Old English lǣfan (“to let remain, leave behind”) (more at leave).
The story
Perhaps short for landloafer, possibly a partial translation of German Landläufer (compare dialectal German loofen (‘to run’), and English landlouper); or more likely connected to Middle English love, loove, loffinge, looffinge (‘a remnant, the rest, that which remains or lingers’), from Old English lāf (‘remainder, residue, what is left’) (more at lave), which is akin to Scots lave (‘the rest, remainder’), Old English lǣfan (‘to let remain, leave behind’) (more at leave).
Another origin of loafer
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wĺ̥kʷos‘wolf’uncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElupus‘wolf (Canis lupus)’
- Old Spanishc. 950–1500lobo‘wolf’uncertain
- Spanishc. 1500–presentsame form‘wolf’
- Englishtodayloafer
Today it means
noun An idle person.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / loafer