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Today it means

lozenge

a medicated sweet; a diamond shape

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Where does the word "lozenge" come from? It comes from Gaulish lausa, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

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Where does the word "lozenge" come from? It comes from Gaulish lausa, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Lozenge’s story begins in Gaulish: lausa meant “flat stone.” Possibly a Gaulish or Iberian word for a slab. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as losenge. Used in heraldry for a diamond-shaped figure. It reached English by 1300s as lozenge. Medicinal 'lozenges' were diamond-shaped tablets. Today, lozenge means a medicated sweet; a diamond shape.

  1. Stage 1 · Gaulish · ancient lausa "flat stone", possibly a Gaulish or Iberian word for a slab.
  2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval losenge "diamond shape", used in heraldry for a diamond-shaped figure.
  3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s lozenge "diamond shape", medicinal 'lozenges' were diamond-shaped tablets.

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