Lads
/lædz/noun
Plural of lad; informal term for boys or young men.
Did you know?The word traces back to a northern English and Scots form meaning an attendant or servant, showing how everyday slang can preserve social roles from medieval life.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
English
ladde
“A boy, youth, or servant”
Early Scots
Scots
lad
“A boy; a servant or attendant”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*laidaz
“A servant or youth (reconstructed; exact form uncertain)”
Modern English
English
lad
“A boy or young man”
Modern English
English
lads
“Plural of lad, boys or young men”