Etymology Map
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Aloft

3 stages from Old Norse to English.

Today it means up in the air; overhead

Where does the word "aloft" come from? It comes from Old Norse á lopti, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
á lopti
Old Norse · medieval
"in the air"
'in the air' or 'in the upper room', from 'lopt', air, loft
2
Stage 2 of 3
on lofte
Middle English · 1200s
"aloft"
borrowed in the Norse-speaking north of England
3
Stage 3 of 3
aloft
English · 1500s
"up high"
sailors went 'aloft' into the rigging
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Read the full story

Aloft’s story begins in Old Norse: á lopti meant “in the air.” 'in the air' or 'in the upper room', from 'lopt', air, loft. By 1200s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as on lofte. Borrowed in the Norse-speaking north of England. It reached English by 1500s as aloft. Sailors went 'aloft' into the rigging. Today, aloft means up in the air; overhead.