Etymograph

English

lore

Lore comes from Middle English lore ‘Education or teaching’, from Proto-Germanic *lizaną ‘to know, to be familiar with, to understand’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leys- ‘to trace, to track’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leys-‘to trace, to track’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(le-)lóys-ereconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lizaną‘to know, to be familiar with, to understand’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laizijaną‘to teach’reconstructed
  5. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laizō‘teaching’reconstructed
  6. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laiʀureconstructed
  7. Old Englishc. 450–1150lār‘teaching, learning, education’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lore‘Education or teaching’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1590same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leys-‘to trace, to track’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(le-)lóys-ereconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lizaną‘to know, to be familiar with, to understand’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laizijaną‘to teach’reconstructed
  5. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laizō‘teaching’reconstructed
  6. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laiʀureconstructed
  7. Old Englishc. 450–1150lār‘teaching, learning, education’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lore‘Education or teaching’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1590same form

Earliest quotation: 1590, Edmund Spenser, (please specify the book): “He to them calles and speakes, yet nought avayles;…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *leys- ‘to trace, to track’

last, less, list, lira, delirium, 7 more

through Proto-Germanic *lizaną ‘to know, to be familiar with, to understand’

learn, 2 more

through Proto-Germanic *laizijaną ‘to teach’

leer, 1 more

through Old English lār ‘teaching, learning, education’

lear, 1 more

Another origin of lore

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElorum‘thong, strap’
  2. Englishtodaylore

Today it means

noun All the facts and traditions about a particular subject that have been accumulated over time through education or experience.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leys- / lore

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