See las in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"word": "lace"
},
{
"lang": "Yola",
"lang_code": "yol",
"word": "laace"
},
{
"lang": "Yola",
"lang_code": "yol",
"word": "laase"
}
],
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"2": "lace"
},
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"name": "etymid"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "fro",
"3": "laz"
},
"expansion": "Borrowed from Old French laz",
"name": "bor+"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French laz, from the verb lacier (“to lace”).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "lass",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "lace",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "lase",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "lasse",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "laz",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "lesse",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
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"2": "noun",
"g": "",
"g2": "",
"g3": "",
"head": "",
"sort": ""
},
"expansion": "las",
"name": "head"
},
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "las (plural lass)",
"name": "enm-noun"
}
],
"lang": "Middle English",
"lang_code": "enm",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
40,
43
]
],
"ref": "1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Knyghtes Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC:",
"text": "Vulcanus had caught thee [Venus] in his las.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"lace"
],
"id": "en-las-enm-noun-l-sdYShT",
"links": [
[
"lace",
"lace"
]
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/laːs/"
},
{
"ipa": "/las/"
}
],
"word": "las"
}
{
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"word": "lass"
},
{
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "Scots",
"lang_code": "sco",
"word": "lass"
}
],
"lang": "Middle Scots",
"lang_code": "gmw-msc",
"word": "las"
},
{
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "Scots",
"lang_code": "sco",
"word": "lass"
}
],
"lang": "Middle Scots",
"lang_code": "gmw-msc",
"word": "lasse"
}
],
"etymology_number": 2,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "girl"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "etymid"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "non",
"3": "lǫskr",
"nocap": "1",
"t": "weak"
},
"expansion": "borrowed from Old Norse lǫskr (“weak”)",
"name": "bor+"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*laskwaz"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *laskwaz",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm-nor",
"2": "enm",
"3": "asse",
"t": "ashes"
},
"expansion": "Northern Middle English asse (“ashes”)",
"name": "m+"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "gmq-oda",
"2": "las",
"t": "rag"
},
"expansion": "Old Danish las (“rag”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "lǣssa"
},
"expansion": "Old English lǣssa",
"name": "m+"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "lesse",
"t": "smaller"
},
"expansion": "Middle English lesse (“smaller”)",
"name": "m+"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "ladde",
"3": "-esse",
"nocat": "1",
"t1": "boy, lad",
"t2": "-ess"
},
"expansion": "ladde (“boy, lad”) + -esse (“-ess”)",
"name": "af"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "gmw-msc",
"2": "lais"
},
"expansion": "Middle Scots lais",
"name": "m+"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Generally seen as borrowed from Old Norse lǫskr (“weak”) (from Proto-Germanic *laskwaz) or a related word, with simplification of /sk/ to /s/ like in Northern Middle English asse (“ashes”), although the lack of unsimplified forms (except for the ambiguous spelling lasce) is problematic.\nHowever, Liberman, following a connection made by Björkman, instead suggests borrowing from a cognate of Old Danish las (“rag”); older proposals that he mentions deriving the word from Old English lǣssa, Middle English lesse (“smaller”) or *laddesse, from ladde (“boy, lad”) + -esse (“-ess”) are to be rejected.\nThe spelling laas is possibly due to the scribe of the Vernon Manuscript incorrectly guessing that this unfamilar Northern dialectal word had a long vowel when copying the Northern Homily Cycle (possibly due to the analogy of Etymology 1); there is no evidence for a long vowel other than Middle Scots lais, which can be attributed to the late Middle Scots interchange of short and long vowel spellings.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "lasses",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "laas",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "lasce",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "lasse",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "lysse",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "noun",
"g": "",
"g2": "",
"g3": "",
"head": "",
"sort": ""
},
"expansion": "las",
"name": "head"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "lasses"
},
"expansion": "las (plural lasses)",
"name": "enm-noun"
}
],
"lang": "Middle English",
"lang_code": "enm",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Lancashire Middle English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Northern Middle English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "33 67",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "21 79",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "Children",
"orig": "enm:Children",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "0 100",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "Female people",
"orig": "enm:Female people",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A girl; a female baby, child or young adult."
],
"id": "en-las-enm-noun-lzqKatLO",
"links": [
[
"girl",
"girl"
],
[
"female",
"female"
],
[
"baby",
"baby"
],
[
"child",
"child"
],
[
"young adult",
"young adult"
],
[
"MED Online",
"w:Middle English Dictionary"
],
[
"University of Michigan",
"w:University of Michigan"
]
],
"qualifier": "Lancashire",
"raw_glosses": [
"(Lancashire, Northern) A girl; a female baby, child or young adult."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "girle"
},
{
"word": "mayde"
},
{
"word": "mayde child"
},
{
"word": "mayden"
},
{
"word": "mayden child"
},
{
"word": "wenche"
}
],
"tags": [
"Northern"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/las/"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Northern Homily Cycle",
"Vernon Manuscript"
],
"word": "las"
}
{
"categories": [
"Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
"Middle English lemmas",
"Middle English nouns",
"Middle English terms borrowed from Old French",
"Middle English terms borrowed from Old Norse",
"Middle English terms derived from Old French",
"Middle English terms derived from Old Norse",
"Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
"Pages with 39 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"cy:Fabrics",
"enm:Children",
"enm:Female people"
],
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"word": "lace"
},
{
"lang": "Yola",
"lang_code": "yol",
"word": "laace"
},
{
"lang": "Yola",
"lang_code": "yol",
"word": "laase"
}
],
"etymology_number": 1,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "lace"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "etymid"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "fro",
"3": "laz"
},
"expansion": "Borrowed from Old French laz",
"name": "bor+"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French laz, from the verb lacier (“to lace”).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "lass",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "lace",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "lase",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "lasse",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "laz",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "lesse",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
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"2": "noun",
"g": "",
"g2": "",
"g3": "",
"head": "",
"sort": ""
},
"expansion": "las",
"name": "head"
},
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "las (plural lass)",
"name": "enm-noun"
}
],
"lang": "Middle English",
"lang_code": "enm",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"Middle English terms with quotations",
"Requests for translations of Middle English quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
40,
43
]
],
"ref": "1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Knyghtes Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC:",
"text": "Vulcanus had caught thee [Venus] in his las.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"lace"
],
"links": [
[
"lace",
"lace"
]
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/laːs/"
},
{
"ipa": "/las/"
}
],
"word": "las"
}
{
"categories": [
"Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
"Middle English lemmas",
"Middle English nouns",
"Middle English terms borrowed from Old Norse",
"Middle English terms derived from Old Norse",
"Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
"Pages with 39 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"cy:Fabrics",
"enm:Children",
"enm:Female people"
],
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"word": "lass"
},
{
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "Scots",
"lang_code": "sco",
"word": "lass"
}
],
"lang": "Middle Scots",
"lang_code": "gmw-msc",
"word": "las"
},
{
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "Scots",
"lang_code": "sco",
"word": "lass"
}
],
"lang": "Middle Scots",
"lang_code": "gmw-msc",
"word": "lasse"
}
],
"etymology_number": 2,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "girl"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "etymid"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "non",
"3": "lǫskr",
"nocap": "1",
"t": "weak"
},
"expansion": "borrowed from Old Norse lǫskr (“weak”)",
"name": "bor+"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*laskwaz"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *laskwaz",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm-nor",
"2": "enm",
"3": "asse",
"t": "ashes"
},
"expansion": "Northern Middle English asse (“ashes”)",
"name": "m+"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "gmq-oda",
"2": "las",
"t": "rag"
},
"expansion": "Old Danish las (“rag”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "lǣssa"
},
"expansion": "Old English lǣssa",
"name": "m+"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "lesse",
"t": "smaller"
},
"expansion": "Middle English lesse (“smaller”)",
"name": "m+"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "ladde",
"3": "-esse",
"nocat": "1",
"t1": "boy, lad",
"t2": "-ess"
},
"expansion": "ladde (“boy, lad”) + -esse (“-ess”)",
"name": "af"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "gmw-msc",
"2": "lais"
},
"expansion": "Middle Scots lais",
"name": "m+"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Generally seen as borrowed from Old Norse lǫskr (“weak”) (from Proto-Germanic *laskwaz) or a related word, with simplification of /sk/ to /s/ like in Northern Middle English asse (“ashes”), although the lack of unsimplified forms (except for the ambiguous spelling lasce) is problematic.\nHowever, Liberman, following a connection made by Björkman, instead suggests borrowing from a cognate of Old Danish las (“rag”); older proposals that he mentions deriving the word from Old English lǣssa, Middle English lesse (“smaller”) or *laddesse, from ladde (“boy, lad”) + -esse (“-ess”) are to be rejected.\nThe spelling laas is possibly due to the scribe of the Vernon Manuscript incorrectly guessing that this unfamilar Northern dialectal word had a long vowel when copying the Northern Homily Cycle (possibly due to the analogy of Etymology 1); there is no evidence for a long vowel other than Middle Scots lais, which can be attributed to the late Middle Scots interchange of short and long vowel spellings.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "lasses",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "laas",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "lasce",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "lasse",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "lysse",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "noun",
"g": "",
"g2": "",
"g3": "",
"head": "",
"sort": ""
},
"expansion": "las",
"name": "head"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "lasses"
},
"expansion": "las (plural lasses)",
"name": "enm-noun"
}
],
"lang": "Middle English",
"lang_code": "enm",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"Lancashire Middle English",
"Northern Middle English"
],
"glosses": [
"A girl; a female baby, child or young adult."
],
"links": [
[
"girl",
"girl"
],
[
"female",
"female"
],
[
"baby",
"baby"
],
[
"child",
"child"
],
[
"young adult",
"young adult"
],
[
"MED Online",
"w:Middle English Dictionary"
],
[
"University of Michigan",
"w:University of Michigan"
]
],
"qualifier": "Lancashire",
"raw_glosses": [
"(Lancashire, Northern) A girl; a female baby, child or young adult."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "girle"
},
{
"word": "mayde"
},
{
"word": "mayde child"
},
{
"word": "mayden"
},
{
"word": "mayden child"
},
{
"word": "wenche"
}
],
"tags": [
"Northern"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/las/"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Northern Homily Cycle",
"Vernon Manuscript"
],
"word": "las"
}
Download raw JSONL data for las meaning in Middle English (6.2kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-01-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (96027d6 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.