Lame
/leɪm/noun
Unable to walk properly because of injury, weakness, or deformity; also informal for something weak or uncool.
Did you know?Its deepest roots are tied to the same ancient family that gave English words like limp, limpness, and possibly limb, all circling the idea of bending, weakness, and impaired movement.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lem-
“to be weak, to hang limply, to break or bend”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*lama-
“crippled, disabled”
Old English
English
lama
“crippled, paralysed, weak”
Middle English
English
lame
“crippled; physically disabled in the legs”
Modern English
English
lame
“unable to walk properly; also dull, ineffective, or uncool”