Lad
/læd/noun
A boy or young man.
Did you know?The exact origin of Old English *lad* is uncertain, but it appears to have referred to a boy, servant, or young fellow long before it became a casual modern term.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
lad
“a boy, youth, or servant (attested in Middle English descendants; exact Old English form and sense are uncertain)”
Middle English
ME
ladde
“a boy, youth, or male servant”
14th–15th Century
English
lad
“a young male; a boy or servant”
Modern English
English
lad
“a boy or young man, especially informally”