English word origin

Etymology of lag

Of unknown origin. Possibly of North Germanic origin.

3 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 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.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/3

Original entry ↗

noun

A gap, a delay; an interval created by something not keeping up; a latency. · Delay; latency. · One sentenced to transportation for a crime. · A prisoner, a criminal.

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

Of unknown origin. Possibly of North Germanic origin.

This page abbreviates 7 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.

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      "expansion": "North Germanic"
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      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "word": "lagi",
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      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "word": "Lag",
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    {
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "lang_code": "ja",
      "word": "ラグ",
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    },
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      "word": "랙",
      "raw_tags": [
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      "lang_code": "pl",
      "word": "lag",
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      "word": "lag",
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      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "word": "лаг",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
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        "A gap, a delay; an interval created by something not keeping up; a latency.",
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        "A prisoner, a criminal."
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Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/3

Original entry ↗

adj

Late. · Last; long-delayed. · Last made; hence, made of refuse; inferior.

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

Of unknown origin. Possibly of North Germanic origin.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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Unnumbered source etymology · variant 3/3

Original entry ↗

verb

To fail to keep up (the pace), to fall behind. · To cover (for example, pipes) with felt strips or similar material. · To respond slowly. · To transport as a punishment for crime.

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

Of unknown origin. Possibly of North Germanic origin.

This page abbreviates 2 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.

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    }
  ],
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      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
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        "To fail to keep up (the pace), to fall behind.",
        "To cover (for example, pipes) with felt strips or similar material.",
        "To respond slowly.",
        "To transport as a punishment for crime."
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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 lag →

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-bGFn