Lameness
/ˈleɪm.nəs/noun
The state of being lame; impaired ability to walk normally.
Did you know?The root behind lame traces back to a Germanic idea of bodily weakness or damage, and English turned it into a noun for disability long before modern medical language softened the sound.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*lama-
“Broken, weak, or crippled”
Old English
OE
lama
“Lame, weak, or disabled”
Middle English
ME
lam
“Lame; crippled”
Middle English
ME
lamnesse
“The condition of being lame”
Modern English
English
lameness
“The state of being lame”