*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of lame

From Middle English lame, from Old English lama (“lame”), from Proto-West Germanic *lam, from Proto-Germanic *lamaz (“lame”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃lemH- (“to tire; to break”).

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 ↗
adj

Unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs. · That cannot be moved properly. · Physically disabled. · Hobbling; limping; inefficient; imperfect.

verb

To cause (a person or animal) to become lame.

noun

A stupid or undesirable person.

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

From Middle English lame, from Old English lama (“lame”), from Proto-West Germanic *lam, from Proto-Germanic *lamaz (“lame”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃lemH- (“to tire; to break”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionlameenm
  • Inherited-form mentionlamaang · lame
  • Inherited-form mention*lamgmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*lamazgem-pro · lame
  • Derivation mention*h₃lemH-ine-pro · to tire; to break

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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        "1": "en",
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        "3": "lame"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English lame"
    },
    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "lama",
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      "expansion": "Old English lama (“lame”)"
    },
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    },
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        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₃lemH-",
        "t": "to tire; to break"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *h₃lemH- (“to tire; to break”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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      "lame",
      "lame#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "lama",
      "lama#Old_English"
    ],
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    ],
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    ],
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    ]
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  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs.",
        "That cannot be moved properly.",
        "Physically disabled.",
        "Hobbling; limping; inefficient; imperfect."
      ],
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        "To cause (a person or animal) to become lame."
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        "A stupid or undesirable person."
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A thin layer or plate of material, as in certain kinds of armor. · A set of joined overlapping metal plates. · A kitchen tool for scoring bread dough before baking.

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

From Middle French lame, from Latin lāmina. Doublet of lamina.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

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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      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "lāmina"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin lāmina"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "lamina"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of lamina"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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    ],
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      "lamina#Latin"
    ],
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    ]
  ],
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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 lame →

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-bGFtZQ