lift

Where does the word "lift" come from? It comes from Old Norse lypta, and was adopted directly into English (1200s).

Lift’s story begins in Old Norse: lypta meant “to raise up.” British 'lift', elevator, dates from the 1850s. It reached English by 1200s as lift. Settled as the standard English word for raising something. Today, lift means to raise something to a higher position.

1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval lypta "to raise up", British 'lift', elevator, dates from the 1850s.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1200s lift "to raise something to a higher position", settled as the standard English word for raising something.