English word origin

Etymology of layer

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

verb

To cut or divide into layers. · To arrange in layers.

noun

A single thickness of some material covering a surface. · An item of clothing worn under or over another. · A (usually) horizontal deposit; a stratum. · One of the items in a hierarchy.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Appears at first glance to be from Middle English leyer, leyare (“a layer of stones or bricks”), equivalent to lay + -er. In which case, ultimately identical to etymology 2 below. For the pronunciation compare prayer. However, this word layer (referring to a thickness of a material covering a surface) has also been argued to be from a respelling of an obsolete sense of the word lair that was once used by farmers, which had to do with soil. The connecting sense between the usual meaning of lair and the specialised farming meaning was: an area where cows typically rest, the ground being fertilised by their waste. Related to lie, ledger.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Root classification mention*legʰ-ine-pro
Inherited-form mentionleyerenm

This page abbreviates 3 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*legʰ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "leyer"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English leyer"
    },
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "lay",
        "3": "er"
      },
      "expansion": "lay + -er"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "leyer",
      "leyer#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "leyare",
      "leyare#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "lay",
      "lay#English"
    ],
    [
      "-er",
      "-er#English"
    ],
    [
      "prayer",
      "prayer#English"
    ],
    [
      "lair",
      "lair#English"
    ],
    [
      "lair",
      "lair#English"
    ],
    [
      "lie",
      "lie#Etymology_1"
    ],
    [
      "ledger",
      "ledger#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To cut or divide into layers.",
        "To arrange in layers."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "2541cbe45af211506f33335c9790a92140a7515ffb87fca61e2d5919ae2481e5",
      "rawRecordSha256": "bd93d3f563ebeaf7b8caedaed8b43fd9dcdca564d7fe5a841f7850bad957e6d3",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 218489
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A single thickness of some material covering a surface.",
        "An item of clothing worn under or over another.",
        "A (usually) horizontal deposit; a stratum.",
        "One of the items in a hierarchy."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "91054043434b12d49ccd9209cdfc037623cef71b5dd66b60d550cf47a9f0c1bb",
      "rawRecordSha256": "e52a7b308ee74b933540c36f7891291de71cfed497343f6b49a17f7bda19847b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 218488
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 3,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A person who lays anything, such as tiles or a wager. · A mature female bird, insect, etc. that is able to lay eggs. · A hen kept to lay eggs; a breed of chicken bred to maximize laying output. · A shoot of a plant, laid underground for growth.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *logʰéyeti Proto-Germanic *lagjaną Proto-West Germanic *laggjan Old English leċġan Middle English leyen English lay Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-os? Proto-Indo-European *-o- Proto-Indo-European *-so- Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂so- Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂s(i)yós Proto-Italic *-āsijos Proto-Italic *-āsios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere ▲ Latin -ārius Old French -ierbor. Middle English -er English -er English layer From lay + -er.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "lay<id:place>",
        "4": "-er<id:agent suffix>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *legʰ-\nProto-Indo-European *-yeti\nProto-Indo-European *-éyeti\nProto-Indo-European *logʰéyeti\nProto-Germanic *lagjaną\nProto-West Germanic *laggjan\nOld English leċġan\nMiddle English leyen\nEnglish lay\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂\nProto-Indo-European *-os?\nProto-Indo-European *-o-\nProto-Indo-European *-so-\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂so-\nProto-Indo-European *-yós\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂s(i)yós\nProto-Italic *-āsijos\nProto-Italic *-āsios\nLatin -āriusnom.\nLatin -āriusbor.\nProto-Germanic *-ārijaz\nProto-West Germanic *-ārī\nOld English -ere\nMiddle English -ere\n▲\nLatin -ārius\nOld French -ierbor.\nMiddle English -er\nEnglish -er\nEnglish layer\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*lagjaną\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*laggjan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"leċġan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"leyen\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"lay\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"id\" : \"agent suffix\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"agent suffix\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"agent suffix\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"agent suffix\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"noun\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"agent noun\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"nom.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Nominalization of\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjective\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjective\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-āsijos\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-eh₂s(i)yós\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-eh₂so-\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-eh₂\", \"status\" : \"ambiguous\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"alt\" : \"*-so-\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"id\" : \"athematic\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-os\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"alt\" : \"*-o-\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"suffix\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-āsios\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ārius\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"nominalization\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ārius\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ārijaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ārī\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-ere\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ere\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" }, { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"agentive\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"nouns\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"id\" : \"agent noun\", \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"la\", \"2\" : \":nom\", \"3\" : \"-ārius<id:adjective>\", \"id\" : \"agent noun\", \"title\" : \"-ārius\", \"pos\" : \"suffix\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ārius\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"-ier\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-er\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-er\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"layer\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"layer\">\nFrom lay + -er."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "lay<id:place>",
        "4": "-er<id:agent suffix>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *legʰ-\nProto-Indo-European *-yeti\nProto-Indo-European *-éyeti\nProto-Indo-European *logʰéyeti\nProto-Germanic *lagjaną\nProto-West Germanic *laggjan\nOld English leċġan\nMiddle English leyen\nEnglish lay\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂\nProto-Indo-European *-os?\nProto-Indo-European *-o-\nProto-Indo-European *-so-\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂so-\nProto-Indo-European *-yós\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂s(i)yós\nProto-Italic *-āsijos\nProto-Italic *-āsios\nLatin -āriusnom.\nLatin -āriusbor.\nProto-Germanic *-ārijaz\nProto-West Germanic *-ārī\nOld English -ere\nMiddle English -ere\n▲\nLatin -ārius\nOld French -ierbor.\nMiddle English -er\nEnglish -er\nEnglish layer\nFrom lay + -er."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*legʰ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/legʰ-"
    ],
    [
      "*-yeti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yeti#Proto-Indo-European:_forming_verbs"
    ],
    [
      "*-éyeti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-éyeti"
    ],
    [
      "*logʰéyeti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/logʰéyeti"
    ],
    [
      "*lagjaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/lagjaną"
    ],
    [
      "*laggjan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/laggjan"
    ],
    [
      "leċġan",
      "lecgan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "leyen",
      "leyen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "lay",
      "lay#English:_place"
    ],
    [
      "*-eh₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-eh₂"
    ],
    [
      "*-os",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-os#Proto-Indo-European:_athematic"
    ],
    [
      "*-yós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yós#Proto-Indo-European:_suffix"
    ],
    [
      "*-āsios",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-āsios#Proto-Italic:_adjective"
    ],
    [
      "-ārius",
      "-arius#Latin:_adjective"
    ],
    [
      "-ārius",
      "-arius#Latin:_agent_noun"
    ],
    [
      "*-ārijaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-ārijaz#Proto-Germanic:_noun"
    ],
    [
      "*-ārī",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-ārī#Proto-West_Germanic:_agent_suffix"
    ],
    [
      "-ere",
      "-ere#Old_English:_agent_suffix"
    ],
    [
      "-ere",
      "-ere#Middle_English:_agent_suffix"
    ],
    [
      "-ārius",
      "-arius#Latin:_agent_noun"
    ],
    [
      "-ier",
      "-ier#Old_French:_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "-er",
      "-er#Middle_English:_agentive"
    ],
    [
      "-er",
      "-er#English:_agent_suffix"
    ],
    [
      "lay",
      "lay#English:_place"
    ],
    [
      "-er",
      "-er#English:_agent_suffix"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A person who lays anything, such as tiles or a wager.",
        "A mature female bird, insect, etc. that is able to lay eggs.",
        "A hen kept to lay eggs; a breed of chicken bred to maximize laying output.",
        "A shoot of a plant, laid underground for growth."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "3fb2bc48d1e8232f5fc50f50ada3be4410d03b40a52b0ac0e0481473ae9538e0",
      "rawRecordSha256": "5a8bb1710fc102735525eab0fd1b4416da4b2de1320e0e6e3f028518869affe1",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 218490
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for layer →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bGF5ZXI