Etymology Map
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Lava

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means molten rock from a volcano

Where does the word "lava" come from? It comes from Latin lavāre, passing through Neapolitan before entering English (1750s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
lavāre
Latin · ancient
"to wash"
to wash
2
Stage 2 of 3
lava
Neapolitan · 1600s
"torrent; lava"
a stream of water after heavy rain, then the burning streams of Vesuvius; the physician Francesco Serao used it in his 1737 account of an eruption
3
Stage 3 of 3
lava
English · 1750s
"molten rock"
borrowed through reports on Vesuvius
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Read the full story

Lava’s story begins in Latin: lavāre meant “to wash.” To wash. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Neapolitan as lava. A stream of water after heavy rain, then the burning streams of Vesuvius; the physician Francesco Serao used it in his 1737 account of an eruption. It reached English by 1750s as lava. Borrowed through reports on Vesuvius. Today, lava means molten rock from a volcano.