Etymology Map
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Lamp

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a device for giving light

Where does the word "lamp" come from? It comes from Latin lampas, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
lampas
Latin · ancient
"torch"
from Greek 'lampein', to shine
2
Stage 2 of 3
lampe
Old French · medieval
"lamp"
oil lamps lit medieval churches
3
Stage 3 of 3
lamp
English · 1200s
"a light source"
electric lamps came in the 1800s
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Read the full story

Lamp’s story begins in Latin: lampas meant “torch.” From Greek 'lampein', to shine. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as lampe. Oil lamps lit medieval churches. It reached English by 1200s as lamp. Electric lamps came in the 1800s. Today, lamp means a device for giving light.