A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

log (n.) --- 1398, of unknown origin. O.N. had lag "felled tree" (from stem of liggja "to lie"), but on phonological grounds etymologists deny that this is the root of Eng. log. Instead, they suggest an independent formation meant to "express the notion of something massive by a word of appropriate sound." Logging "act of cutting timber" is from 1706. Logjam "congestion of logs on a river" is from 1885; in the figurative sense it is from 1890. Logrolling in the legislative vote-trading sense first recorded 1823, from the notion of neighbors on the frontier helping one another with the heavy work of clearing land and building cabins (as in phrase you roll my log and I'll roll yours). Log cabin in Amer.Eng. has been a figure of the honest pioneer since the 1840 presidential campaign of William Henry Harrison.

log (v.) --- to enter into a log book, 1823, from logbook "daily record of a ship's speed, progress, etc." (1679), which is so called because wooden floats were used to measure a ship's speed. To log in in the computing sense is attested from 1963.

loganberry --- 1893, Amer.Eng., named for U.S. lawyer and horticulturalist James H. Logan (1841-1928), who developed it by crossing a blackberry and a raspberry.

logarithm --- 1614, Mod.L. logarithmus, coined by Scot. mathematician John Napier (1550-1617), lit. "ratio-number," from Gk. logos "proportion, ratio, word" (see logos) + arithmos "number" (see arithmetic).

loggerhead --- 1588, "stupid person, blockhead," from dial. logger "heavy block of wood." Later it meant "a thick-headed iron tool" (1687), a type of cannon shot, a type of turtle (1657). Loggerheads "fighting, fisticuffs" is from 1680, but the exact notion is uncertain, perhaps it suggests the heavy tools used as weapons. The phrase at loggerheads "in disagreement" is first recorded 1831.

loggia --- roofed galley used as an open-air room, 1782, from It., from Fr. loge (see lodge (n.)).

logic --- 1362, "branch of philosophy that treats of forms of thinking," from O.Fr. logique, from L. (ars) logica, from Gk. logike (techne) "reasoning (art)," from fem. of logikos "pertaining to speaking or reasoning," from logos "reason, idea, word" (see logos). Meaning "logical argumentation" is from 1601. Logical attested 1500 as "pertaining to logic;" 1588 as "conformable to laws of reasoning;" 1860 as "following as a reasonable consequence."

logistic --- pertaining to logic, 1628, from M.L. logisticus, from Gk. logistikos "pertaining to logic," from logikos (see logic).

logistics --- art of moving, quartering, and supplying troops, 1879, from Fr. (l'art) logistique "(art) of quartering troops," from M.Fr. logis "lodging," from O.Fr. logeis "shelter for an army, encampment," from loge (see lodge) + Gk. suffix -istikos.

logo --- 1937, probably a shortening of logogram "sign or character representing a word" (1840), from Gk. logos "word" + gram "what is written."

logos --- 1587, "second person of the Christian Trinity," from Gk. logos "word, speech, discourse," also "reason," from PIE base *leg- "to collect" (with derivatives meaning "to speak," on notion of "to pick out words"); used by Neo-Platonists in various metaphysical and theological senses and picked up by N.T. writers. Other Eng. formations from logos include logolatry "worship of words, unreasonable regard for words or verbal truth" (1810 in Coleridge); logomachy "fighting about words" (1569); logomania (1870); logophobia (1923); and logorrhea (1902).

-logy --- a speaking, discourse, treatise, doctrine, theory, science, from Gk. -logia (often via Fr. -logie or M.L. -logia), from root of legein "to speak;" thus, "the character or department of one who speaks or treats of (a certain subject);" see lecture.

logy --- dull and heavy, 1848, Amer.Eng., perhaps from Du. log "heavy, dull."

loin --- c.1302, "side of the body of an animal used for food," from O.Fr. loigne, from V.L. *lumbea, from *lumbea caro "meat of the loin," from fem. of *lumbeus, adj. used as a noun, from L. lumbus "loin." Replaced O.E. lendenu "loins," from P.Gmc. *landwin-. The L. word was probably also borrowed from a Germanic source. In ref. to the living human body, it is attested from 1398. In Biblical translations, often used for "that part of the body that should be covered and about which the clothes are bound" (1526). Loincloth is attested from 1859.

loiter --- 1362 (implied in loitering), from M.Du. loteren "be loose or erratic, shake, totter" like a loose tooth or a sail in a storm. In modern Du., leuteren "to delay, linger, loiter over one's work." Probably cognate with O.E. lutian "lurk," and related to O.E. loddere "beggar," O.H.G. lotar "empty, vain," Ger. Lotterbube "vagabond, rascal," O.E. lyðre "base, bad, wicked."

Lola --- fem. proper name, dim. of Sp. Dolores.

Lolita --- fem. proper name, dim. of Lola. Title and name of character in the 1958 novel by Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977) about a precocious schoolgirl seduced by an older man; by 1960 the name was in widespread fig. use.

loll --- 1362, lollen "to lounge idly, hang loosely," perhaps related to M.Du. lollen "to doze, mumble," or somehow imitative of rocking or swinging. Specifically of the tongue from 1611.

lollapalooza --- remarkable or wonderful person or thing, 1904 (lallapalootza), Amer.Eng., fanciful formation.

Lollard --- 1395 (in Chaucer, Loller, c.1386), from M.Du. lollaerd, applied pejoratively to members of reforming sects c.1300 who devoted themselves to the care of the sick and poor, lit. "mumbler, mutterer," so called by critics who regarded them as heretics pretending to humble piety, from lollen "to mumble or doze." Generic late M.E. term for groups suspected of heresy, esp. followers of John Wycliffe.

lollipop --- 1784, lolly-pops "sweetmeats, soft candy," perhaps related to loll "to dangle" (the tongue) + pop "strike, slap." Or the first element may be northern dial. lolly "the tongue." Meaning "hard candy on a stick" is from 1920s.

lollygag --- dawdle, dally, 1862, lallygag, Amer.Eng., perhaps from dial. lolly "tongue" + gag "deceive, trick."

Lombard --- banker, money-changer, pawnbroker, 1377, from O.Fr. (which also gave the word in this sense to M.Du. and Low Ger.), from It. Lombardo (M.L. Lombardus), from L.L. Langobardus, proper name of a Gmc. people who conquered Italy 6c. and settled in the northern region that became known as Lombardy, from P.Gmc. Langgobardoz, often said to mean lit. "Long-beards," but perhaps rather from *lang- "tall, long" + the proper name of the people (L. Bardi). Their name in O.E. was Langbeardas (pl.), but also Heaðobeardan, from heaðo "war." Lombards in Middle Ages were notable throughout Western Europe as bankers and money-lenders, also pawn-brokers; London's Lombard Street (1598) originally was occupied by Lombard bankers. Lombardy poplar, originally from Italy but planted in N.Amer. colonies as an ornamental tree, is attested from 1766.

London --- chief city and capital of England, L. Londinium (c.115), often explained as "place belonging to a man named Londinos," a supposed Celtic personal name meaning "the wild one," "but this etymology is rejected in an emphatic footnote in Jackson 1953 (p.308), and we have as yet nothing to put in its place." [Margaret Gelling, "Signposts to the Past: Place-Names and the History of England," Chichester, 1978] London Bridge the children's singing game is attested from 1827. London broil "large flank steak broiled then cut in thin slices" is 1969, Amer.Eng.; London fog first attested 1830.

lone --- 1377, aphetic shortening of alone (q.v.) by misdivision of what is properly al(l) one. The Lone Star in ref. to "Texas" is first recorded 1843, from its flag. First record of lonely is from 1607; lonesome from 1647. Loner "one who avoids company" first recorded 1947. Lone wolf in the fig. sense is 1909, Amer.Eng.

long (adj.) --- O.E. lang, long, from P.Gmc. *langgaz (cf. O.H.G., Ger. lang, O.N. langr, M.Du. lanc, Goth. laggs "long"), perhaps from PIE *dlonghos- (cf. L. longus, O.Pers. darga-, Pers. dirang, Skt. dirghah, Gk. dolikhos "long," Gk. endelekhes "perpetual," L. indulgere "to indulge"). The adv. is from O.E. lange, longe, from the adjective. The word illustrates the O.E. tendency for short "a" to become short "o" before -n- (also retained in bond/band and W. Midlands dial. lond from land and hond from hand). Long vowels (c.1000) originally were pronounced for an extended time. Long-playing (phonograph record) is from 1929; abbreviation LP is from 1948. Long-bow, the characteristic medieval Eng. weapon, is attested from c.1500. Longhair is 1920 in the sense of "intellectual," especially in musical tastes, "devotee of classical music;" sense of "hippie" took over 1969. Long-distance in ref. to telephoning is from 1884. Long in the tooth (1852) is from horses showing age by recession of gums. Long shot in the fig. sense of "something unlikely" is from 1867. Long-term (adj.) is from 1908. Long run "ultimate outcome" is attested from 1627. Long time no see, imitative of Amer.Indian speech, is first recorded 1900. Long-winded "given to lengthy speeches" is from 1589.

long (v.) --- O.E. langian "to yearn, to seem long," lit. "to grow long," from P.Gmc. *langojanan (see long (adj.)). Related to O.N. langa, M.Du. langhen, O.H.G. langen, Ger. verlangen "to desire."

longevity --- 1615, from L.L. longævitas "great age, long life," from L. longævus "long-lived," from longus "long" (adj.) + ævum "lifetime, age."

longitude --- c.1391, from L. longitudo "length," from longus "long" (adj.) (see long (adj.)). For origins, see latitude.

longshoreman --- 1811, from alongshore + man.

loo (1) --- lavatory, 1940, but perhaps 1922, probably from Fr. lieux d'aisances, "lavatory," lit. "place of ease," picked up by British servicemen in France during World War I. Or possibly a pun on Waterloo, based on water closet.

loo (2) --- type of card game, 1675, short for lanterloo, from Fr. lanturelau, originally the refrain of a song.

loofah --- 1887, from Egyptian Arabic lufah, the name of the plant (Luffa ægyptiaca) with fibrous pods from which flesh-brushes are made.

look (v.) --- O.E. locian "see, gaze, look, spy," from W.Gmc. *lokjan (cf. O.S. lokon, M.Du. loeken, O.H.G. luogen, Ger. dial. lugen "to look out"), of unknown origin, perhaps cognate with Bret. lagud "eye." In O.E., usually with on; the use of at began 14c. Meaning "to have a certain appearance" is from c.1400. Noun meaning "an act of looking" is c.1200; meaning "appearance of a person" is from c.1385. To look down upon in the fig. sense is from 1711; to look down one's nose is from 1921; looker "attractive woman" is from 1893; look-see (n.) "inspection" first recorded 1883. In look sharp (1711) sharp originally was an adv. "sharply." Look after "take care of" is from 1375; look into "investigate" is from 1586; to not look back "make no pauses" is colloquial, first attested 1893. Look up "research in books or papers" is from 1692. Look-alike (n.) "someone who closely resembles another" is 1947, Amer.Eng. Looking-glass first attested 1526. Look-out "person who stands watch or acts as a scout" is from 1699.

loom (n.) --- O.E. geloma "utensil, tool," from ge- perfective prefix + -loma, of unknown origin. Originally "implement or tool of any kind" (cf. heirloom); thus, "the penis" (c.1400-1600). Meaning "a machine in thich yarn or thread is woven into fabric" is from 1404.

loom (v.) --- 1542, perhaps from a Scand. source (cf. dial. Swed. loma, E.Fris. lomen "move slowly"), perhaps a variant from the root of lame (adj.); first used of ships.

loon (1) --- diving bird (esp. the Great Northern Diver), 1634, from a Scand. source (cf. Norw. lom, from O.N. lomr).

loon (2) --- crazy person, c.1450, lowen "rascal," of uncertain origin, perhaps related to Du. loen "stupid person."

loony --- 1853, Amer.Eng., short for lunatic, but also infl. by loon (2), which is noted for its wild cry and method of escaping from danger. Slang loony bin "insane asylum" is from 1919. Looney left in ref. to holders of political views felt to be extreme is from 1977.

loop --- c.1390, probably of Celtic origin (cf. Gael. lub "bend," Ir. lubiam), influenced by O.N. hlaup "a leap, run." In ref. to magnetic recording tape or film, first recorded 1931. Computer programming sense first attested 1947. The verb meaning "to form a loop" is first recorded 1856. Looped "drunk" is from 1934; loopy "crazy" is from 1925. To loop the loop (1902) originally was a stunt of bicycle-riding.

loophole --- 1464, from M.E. loupe "opening in a wall" (c.1300), perhaps related to M.Du. lupen "to watch, peer;" + hole. Figurative sense of "outlet, means of escape" is from 1663.

loose (adj.) --- c.1300, from O.N. lauss "loose, free, vacant, dissolute," cognate with O.E. leas "devoid of, false, feigned, incorrect," from P.Gmc. *lausaz (cf. Dan. løs "loose, untied," M.Du., Ger. los, Goth. laus), from PIE *lau-/*leu- "to loosen, divide, cut apart" (see lose). The verb is first recorded c.1225, "to set free." Sense of "unchaste, immoral" is recorded from c.1470. Figurative sense of loose cannon was in use by mid-20c.

loot (n.) --- 1788, Anglo-Indian, from Hindi lut, from Skt. lota-m "booty, stolen property." The verb is first attested 1842, from the noun.

lop (1) --- cut off, 1519, from M.E. loppe (n.) "small branches and twigs trimmed from trees" (c.1420), of unknown origin.

lop (2) --- droop, 1578, probably a variant of lap (v.); cf. lopsided (1711), originally lapsided, first used of ships.

lope --- to run with long strides, c.1825; earlier "to leap, jump, spring" (1483), from O.N. hlaupa "to run, leap," from same Gmc. root as leap and gallop.

loquacious --- 1667, from stem of L. loquax (gen. loquacis) "talkative," from loqui "to speak," of unknown origin. Loquacity is much earlier (12c.), from L. loquacitatem "talkativeness," from loquax.

loquitur --- stage direction, "he or she speaks," from L., third person pres. indic. sing. of loqui "to talk."

lord --- M.E. laverd, loverd (13c.), from O.E. hlaford "master of a household, ruler, superior," also "God" (translating L. Dominus, though O.E. drihten was used more often), earlier hlafweard, lit. "one who guards the loaves," from hlaf "bread, loaf" + weard "keeper, guardian, ward." Cf. lady, and O.E. hlafæta "household servant," lit. "loaf-eater." Modern monosyllabic form emerged 14c. The verb meaning "to play the lord, domineer" is from 1377; to lord it is from 1579. Interjection Lordy first attested 1853, Amer.Eng. Lord of the Flies translates Beelzebub (q.v.) and was name of 1954 book by William Golding.

lore --- O.E. lar "learning, what is taught, knowledge, doctrine," from P.Gmc. *laizo (O.H.G. lera, O.Fris. lare, Du. leer, Ger. Lehre), from *lais- (see learn).

lorelei --- 1878, name of a rock in the River Rhine near Koblenz, Germany. In legend, a lovely woman sat atop it and sang while combing her long blond hair, distracting sailors so their ships foundered on the rock and they drowned.

lorn --- lost, ruined (archaic), c.1300, from O.E. loren, pp. of leosan "to lose" (see lose).

Lorraine --- region in eastern France, from M.L. Lotharingia, lit. "Lothar's Realm," name later given to the northern portion of the lands assigned by the Treaty of Verdun (843 C.E.) to Lothair I in the first division of the Carolingian empire. His empire stretched from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. Before his death (855 C.E.), Lothair subdivided his lands among his three sons. His son, Lothair (for whom the region is named), was given Lotharingia as his kingdom.

lorry --- A truck, a long, flat wagon, 1838, British railroad word, probably from verb lurry "to pull, tug," of uncertain origin. Meaning "large motor vehicle for carrying goods" is first attested 1911.

lose --- O.E. losian "be lost, perish," from los "destruction, loss," from P.Gmc. *lausa (cf. O.N. los "the breaking up of an army"), from PIE base *leu- "to loosen, divide, cut apart, untie, separate" (cf. Skt. lunati "cuts, cuts off," lavitram "sickle;" Gk. lyein "to loosen, untie, slacken," lysus "a loosening;" L. luere "to loose, release, atone for"). Replaced related leosan (a class II strong verb whose pp. loren survives in forlorn and love-lorn), from P.Gmc. *leusanan (cf. O.H.G. virliosan, Ger. verlieren, O.Fris. urliasa, Goth. fraliusan "to lose"). Transitive sense of "to part with accidentally" is from c.1205. Meaning "to be defeated" (in a game, etc.) is from c.1533. To lose (one's) mind "become insane" is attested from c.1500. To lose out "fail" is 1858, Amer.Eng.

loser --- a destroyer, 1340, from lose (q.v.). Sense of "one who suffers loss" is from 1548; meaning "horse that loses a race" is from 1902; "convicted criminal" is from 1912; "hapless person" is 1955 student slang.

loss --- O.E. los "loss, destruction," from P.Gmc. *lausam- (see lose). The modern word, however, probably evolved 14c. from lost, the original pp. of lose. Phrase at a loss (1592) originally refers to hounds losing the scent. To cut one's losses is from 1912.

lost (adj.) --- defeated (c.1300), "wasted, spent in vain," c.1500; also "no longer to be found" (1526), from the pp. of lose (q.v.). Lost Cause in ref. to the Southern U.S. bid for independence is from the title of E.A. Pollard's history of the CSA and the rebellion (1866). Lost Generation in ref. to the period 1914-18 first attested 1926 in Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises," where he credits it to Gertrude Stein.

lot --- O.E. hlot "object (anything from dice to straw, but often a chip of wood with a name inscribed on it) used to determine someone's share," also "what falls to a person by lot," from P.Gmc. *khlutom (cf. O.N. hlutr "lot, share," O.H.G. hluz "share of land," O.E. hleotan "to cast lots, to foretell"), of unknown origin. The object was placed with others in a receptacle, which was shaken, the winner being the one that fell out first. Hence, to cast lots. In some cases the lots were drawn by hand. The word was adopted from Gmc. into the Romanic languages (cf. lottery, lotto). Meaning "choice resulting from the lasting of lots" first attested c.1205. Sense of "plot of land" is first recorded 1633 (distribution of the best property in new settlements often determined by casting lot), that of "group, collection" is 1725, from notion of auction lots. The generalized sense of "great many" is first attested in 1812. To cast (one's) lot with another is to agree to share winnings.

lothario --- lady-killer, 1756, from principal male character of Nicholas Rowe's "The Fair Penitent" (1703). The name is the It. form of O.H.G. Hlothari, Hludher (whence Ger. Luther), lit. "famous warrior," from O.H.G. lut (see loud) + heri "host, army."

lotion --- c.1400, from O.Fr. lotion, from L. lotionem (nom. lotio) "a washing," from lotus, popular form of lautus, pp. of lavere "to wash" (see lave).

lottery --- 1567, "arrangement for a distribution of prizes by chance," from It. lotteria, from same root as O.E. hlot (see lot).

lotto --- 1778, "type of card game," from It. lotto "a lot," from O.Fr. lot "lot," from Frank. (cf. O.E., O.Fris. hlot, see lot). Meaning "a lottery" is attested from 1787.

lotus --- c.1540, from L. lotus, from Gk. lotos, name used for several plants before it came to mean Egyptian white lotus (a sense attested in Eng. from 1584); perhaps from a Sem. source (cf. Heb. lot "myrrh"). The yogic sense is attested from 1848. Lotus-eaters (1832) are from Gk. lotophagoi, mentioned in "Odyssey," book IX.

loud (adj.) --- O.E. hlud "making noise, sonorous," from W.Gmc. *khluthaz "heard" (cf. O.Fris. hlud, M.Du. luut, Du. luid, O.H.G. hlut, Ger. laut "loud"), from PIE pp. *klutos- (cf. Skt. srutah, Gk. klytos "heard of, celebrated," Arm. lu "known," Welsh clod "praise"), from base *kleu- "to hear" (see listen). The adv. is from O.E. hlude, from P.Gmc. *khludai. Application to colors first recorded 1849. Loudmouth (n.) first recorded 1934. Loudspeaker is from 1884.

lough --- c.1330, "a lake," Anglo-Celtic, representing a northern form of Ir. and Gale. loch, Welsh llwch.

Louis --- masc. proper name, from Fr. Louis, from O.Fr. Loois, probably via M.L. Ludovicus from O.H.G. Hluodowig (Ger. Ludwig), lit. "famous in war," from P.Gmc. *hluda- "heard of, famous" (see loud) + *wiga "war." Louis Quatorze (1855) refers to styles reminiscent of the time of King Louis XIV of France (1643-1715).

lounge (v.) --- 1508, from Scot., of uncertain origin, perhaps from Fr. s'allonger (paresseusement) "to lounge about, lie at full length," from O.Fr. alongier "lengthen," from L. longus "long." Another etymology traces it through obsolete lungis (n.) "slow, lazy person" (c.1560), from M.Fr. longis, a generic application of Longinus, supposed to be the name of the centurion who pierced Christ's side with a spear in John xix.34. Popular etymology associated the name with long (adj.). The noun in the sense of "comfortable drawing room" is first recorded 1881; in the sense of "couch on which one can lie at full length," 1830. Lounge lizard is from 1912, originally in reference to men who hung around in tea rooms to flirt.

lour --- to frown, c.1290, variant of lower (v.2).

louse --- O.E. lus, "parasitic insect infecting human hair and skin," from P.Gmc. *lus (cf. O.N., M.Du., O.H.G. lus, Ger. Laur). Slang meaning "obnoxious person" is from 1633. The plural lice (O.E. lys) shows effects of i-mutation. Lousy is 1377 lousi "infested with lice;" figurative use as a generic term of abuse dates from c.1386; sense of "swarming with" (money, etc.) is Amer.Eng. slang from 1843. The verb meaning "to clear of lice" is from c.1440; to louse up "ruin, botch" first attested 1934.

lout (n.) --- 1548, "awkward fellow, clown, bumpkin," perhaps from dialectal derivative of O.E. verb lutan "bow low," from P.Gmc. *leut- "to bow, bend, stoop" (cf. O.N. lutr "stooping"), from PIE *leud- "to lurk" (cf. Goth. luton "to deceive," O.E. lot "deceit), also "to be small" (see little). Non-Gmc. cognates probably include Lith. liudeti "to mourn;" O.C.S. luditi "to deceive," ludu "foolish." Sense of "cad" is first attested 1857 in British schoolboy slang.

louver --- 1367, "domed turret-like structure atop a building to disperse smoke and admit light," from O.Fr. lovier, of uncertain origin. One theory connects it to M.L. *lodarium, which might be from a Gmc. source (cf. O.H.G. louba "upper room, roof;" see lobby). Another suggests it is from Fr. l'ouvert, lit. "the open place," from le, definite article, + pp. of ouvrir "to open." Meaning "overlapping strips in a window (to let in air but keep out rain)" first recorded 1555. The form has been influenced by unrelated Fr. Louvre, the name of the palace in Paris, which is said to be so named because its builder, Philip Augustus, intended it as a wolf kennel.

love (n.) --- O.E. lufu "love, affection, friendliness," from P.Gmc. *lubo (cf. O.Fris. liaf, Ger. lieb, Goth. liufs "dear, beloved;" not found elsewhere as a noun, except O.H.G. luba, Ger. Liebe), from PIE *leubh- "to care, desire, love" (cf. L. lubet, later libet "pleases;" Skt. lubhyati "desires;" O.C.S. l'ubu "dear, beloved;" Lith. liaupse "song of praise"). Meaning "a beloved person" is from c.1225. The sense "no score" (in tennis, etc.) is 1742, from the notion of "playing for love," i.e. "for nothing" (1678). Love-letter is attested from c.1240; love-song from c.1310. To be in love with (someone) is from 1508. Love life "one's collective amorous activities" is from 1919, originally a term in psychological jargon. Phrase make love is attested from 1580 in the sense "pay amorous attention to;" as a euphemism for "have sex," it is attested from c.1950. Love child "child born out of wedlock," first attested 1805, from earlier love brat (17c.). Lovesick is attested from 1530; lovelorn from 1634 (see lose). Phrase for love or money "for anything" is attested from 1590. To fall in love is attested from 1423. The phrase no love lost (between two people) is ambiguous and was used 17c. in ref. to two who love each other well (c.1640) as well as two who have no love for each other (1622).