Etymograph

English

loathsome

Loathsome comes from Old English *lāþsum ‘ugly, detestable’, from Proto-West Germanic *laiþasam ‘painful, horrible, tiresome, hated’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂leytos ‘abhorrence, loath’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂leytos‘abhorrence, loath’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laiþaz‘loath’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laiþ‘loathsome, detestable, hated’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*laiþasam‘painful, horrible, tiresome, hated’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150*lāþsum‘ugly, detestable’reconstructed
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lothsum
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1588–1593loathsome

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂leytos‘abhorrence, loath’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laiþaz‘loath’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laiþ‘loathsome, detestable, hated’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*laiþasam‘painful, horrible, tiresome, hated’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150*lāþsum‘ugly, detestable’reconstructed
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lothsum
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1588–1593loathsome

Earliest quotation: c. 1588–1593, William Shakespeare, London: […] Iohn Danter: “Come on my Lords the better foot before, /…”

Formed from loath + -some

Middle English lōth

English loath

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *h₂leytos

Today it means

adj Highly offensive; abominable, sickening.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂leytos / loathsome

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