Etymology Map
Back to all words

Loiter

3 stages from Middle Dutch to English.

Today it means to stand or wait around idly without apparent purpose

Where does the word "loiter" come from? It comes from Middle Dutch loteren, passing through Middle English before entering English (1800s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
loteren
Middle Dutch · medieval
"to wobble, be idle"
meant to wag or be loose, like a slack sail
2
Stage 2 of 3
loiteren
Middle English · 1400s
"to idle"
first applied to idle vagrants
3
Stage 3 of 3
loiter
English · 1800s
"to linger aimlessly"
became a legal term in vagrancy laws
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Loiter’s story begins in Middle Dutch: loteren meant “to wobble, be idle.” Meant to wag or be loose, like a slack sail. By 1400s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as loiteren. First applied to idle vagrants. It reached English by 1800s as loiter. Became a legal term in vagrancy laws. Today, loiter means to stand or wait around idly without apparent purpose.