English word origin

Etymology of lum

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary 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.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A chimney; also, the top part of a chimney. · A ventilating chimney over the shaft of a mine.

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

Borrowed from Scots lum, Early Scots lumb; further etymology uncertain, but probably from Cumbric *lümon, related to Welsh llumon (“chimney”) (obsolete), from Proto-Celtic *loimono. Possibly at least influenced by Old French lum (“light”), lume (“cooking fire”) (compare French lumière (“light; cavity or channel within a tube or tubular organ, lumen; opening”)), from Latin lūmen (“light; light source; opening through which light can penetrate such as an air-hole or window; opening or orifice in a water-pipe or funnel”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“bright; to see; to shine”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Root classification mention*lewk-ine-pro
Borrowed-form mentionlumsco
Derivation mentionlumbsco
Derivation mention*lümonxcb
Cognate mentionllumoncy
Derivation mention*loimonocel-pro
Derivation mentionlumfro · light
Cognate mentionlumièrefr · light; cavity or channel within a tube or tubular organ, lumen; opening
Derivation mentionlūmenla · light; light source; opening through which light can penetrate such as an air-hole or window; opening or orifice in a water-pipe or funnel
Derivation mention*lewk-ine-pro · bright; to see; to shine

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": "*lewk-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sco",
        "3": "lum"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots lum"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sco",
        "3": "lumb"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots lumb"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "¹"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "¹"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "xcb",
        "3": "*lümon"
      },
      "expansion": "Cumbric *lümon"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "llumon",
        "3": "",
        "4": "chimney"
      },
      "expansion": "Welsh llumon (“chimney”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "qualifier",
      "args": {
        "1": "obsolete"
      },
      "expansion": "(obsolete)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cel-pro",
        "3": "*loimono"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Celtic *loimono"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "lum",
        "t": "light"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French lum (“light”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "lumière",
        "t": "light; cavity or channel within a tube or tubular organ, lumen; opening"
      },
      "expansion": "French lumière (“light; cavity or channel within a tube or tubular organ, lumen; opening”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "lūmen",
        "t": "light; light source; opening through which light can penetrate such as an air-hole or window; opening or orifice in a water-pipe or funnel"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin lūmen (“light; light source; opening through which light can penetrate such as an air-hole or window; opening or orifice in a water-pipe or funnel”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "¹"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*lewk-",
        "t": "bright; to see; to shine"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“bright; to see; to shine”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "lum",
      "lum#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "lumb",
      "lumb#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "*lümon",
      "Reconstruction:Cumbric/lümon"
    ],
    [
      "llumon",
      "llumon#Welsh"
    ],
    [
      "*loimono",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/loimono"
    ],
    [
      "lum",
      "lum#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "lume",
      "lume#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "lumière",
      "lumière#French"
    ],
    [
      "lūmen",
      "lumen#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*lewk-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/lewk-"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A chimney; also, the top part of a chimney.",
        "A ventilating chimney over the shaft of a mine."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Northern-England",
        "Scotland",
        "specifically"
      ],
      "recordId": "be97088a6bb0aeac678628b2bf28c40149383a960a185869ab61a861bb0d9896",
      "rawRecordSha256": "e19a82f7b6632a59dbc7284883b3a9fc600d410f9bfd5d2f6a8e201bfb361abd",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 570863
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A grove or wood; also, a woody valley.

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

Uncertain; perhaps related to Old Norse lundr (“clump of trees, grove; (rare) tree”) (compare Danish lund (“grove”), Norwegian Bokmål lund, Norwegian Nynorsk lund (“grove”), Swedish lund (“grove”)).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Cognate mentionlundrnon · clump of trees, grove; (rare) tree
Cognate mentionlundda · grove
Cognate mentionlundnb
Cognate mentionlundnn · grove
Cognate mentionlundsv · grove

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "unc",
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Uncertain"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "non",
        "2": "lundr",
        "t": "clump of trees, grove; (rare) tree"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse lundr (“clump of trees, grove; (rare) tree”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "lund",
        "t": "grove"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish lund (“grove”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nb",
        "2": "lund"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Bokmål lund"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nn",
        "2": "lund",
        "t": "grove"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Nynorsk lund (“grove”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "lund",
        "t": "grove"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish lund (“grove”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "3"
      },
      "expansion": "³"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "lundr",
      "lundr#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "lund",
      "lund#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "lund",
      "lund#Norwegian_Bokmål"
    ],
    [
      "lund",
      "lund#Norwegian_Nynorsk"
    ],
    [
      "lund",
      "lund#Swedish"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A grove or wood; also, a woody valley."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Northern-England",
        "Scotland",
        "dialectal"
      ],
      "recordId": "c83a29d1630b1b9d9055e24e66725d1c9f7632c1059896581105ef9c8b2f82d4",
      "rawRecordSha256": "c664cb1b0793e0534fce919e0a5ff1031d5901b0d5f943a5d3ce0ed9f788b5c9",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 570864
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

A deep pool, especially one in a riverbed.

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

Unknown. The Dictionary of the Scots Language (in their entry on Scots lum (“downpour”)) mentions a dialectal Middle English word lum(b) (“water hole in a mire; deep pool”) and suggests it might ultimately be related to lum (“chimney”).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "unk",
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Unknown"
    },
    {
      "name": "unknown",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Unknown"
      },
      "expansion": "Unknown"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "2"
      },
      "expansion": "²"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "2"
      },
      "expansion": "²"
    },
    {
      "name": "m+",
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "lum",
        "3": "",
        "4": "downpour"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots lum (“downpour”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "lum",
      "lum#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "lum",
      "lum#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A deep pool, especially one in a riverbed."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Northern-England",
        "Scotland",
        "dialectal"
      ],
      "recordId": "b30e505e684ff143b5b955282ef96d0f98100928dcc8e23626ff2e12672bbdf1",
      "rawRecordSha256": "4572ade1a8506143b38624946ec7bba3713414cb6ea0bf1b15c2ec5ac3ae0eb1",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 570865
    }
  ],
  "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 lum →

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-bHVt