Etymology Map
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Lariat

3 stages from Spanish to English.

Today it means a rope used as a lasso or for tethering

Where does the word "lariat" come from? It comes from Spanish reatar, passing through Mexican Spanish before entering English (1830s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
reatar
Spanish · medieval
"to retie"
to tie again, from Latin 're-' and 'aptāre', to fit
2
Stage 2 of 3
la reata
Mexican Spanish · 1700s
"the rope"
'the rope', the vaquero's rope for catching cattle
3
Stage 3 of 3
lariat
American English · 1830s
"lasso"
'la reata' was run together into one word
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Read the full story

Lariat’s story begins in Spanish: reatar meant “to retie.” To tie again, from Latin 're-' and 'aptāre', to fit. By 1700s, the word had taken hold in Mexican Spanish as la reata. 'the rope', the vaquero's rope for catching cattle. It reached English by 1830s as lariat. 'la reata' was run together into one word. Today, lariat means a rope used as a lasso or for tethering.