EtymologyMap
Back to all words

Trace the journey of words

Today it means

low

of little height, or below the usual level

Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate

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

Read the full story

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

Low’s story begins in Old Norse: lagr meant “lying low, not high.” Lying close to the ground, not high. It reached English by 1200s as low. Settled as the standard English word for not high. Today, low means of little height, or below the usual level.

  1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval lagr "lying low, not high", lying close to the ground, not high.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1200s low "not high or tall, close to the ground", settled as the standard English word for not high.

Browse by origin