Lamp
/læmp/noun
A device that produces light.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Greek, where it was tied to light-bearing objects; the same ancient root also survives in modern words like “lampoon” and “lantern” through long, winding borrowings.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leuk-
“to shine, be bright”
Ancient Greek
Greek
lampás (λαμπάς)
“a torch, lamp, or bright light”
Late Latin
Latin
lampas
“a lamp or torch”
Old French
Old French
lampe
“a lamp”
Middle English
English
lampe
“a lamp”
Modern English
English
lamp
“a device that produces light”