English
lofty
Lofty comes from Middle English lofty.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lofty
- Englishearliest quotation 1769same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lofty
- Englishearliest quotation 1769same form
Earliest quotation: 1769, Firishta, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi: “The lofty mountains roſe faint to the ſight and…”
Formed from loft ‘sky, firmament’ + -y
Proto-West Germanic *lufti
Old English lyft ‘air’
Middle English lofte ‘air, sky, upper region, loft’
English loft
Every English word from Middle English lofty
Today it means
adj High, tall, having great height or stature.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English lofty / lofty