Lobby
/ˈlɒbi/noun
A hall or corridor at the entrance of a building, or a group seeking to influence public policy.
Did you know?“Lobby” likely entered English through medieval Latin and Old French as a word for a covered walkway or cloister passage, long before it became the modern symbol of political influence.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*laubō / *laubaz
“leaf; foliage, and by extension a leafy shelter or covering”
Old High German
OHG
louba
“roofed porch or gallery”
Medieval Latin
Latin
laubia
“a covered walkway or gallery”
Old French
Old French
lobie / lobbie
“a covered passage or cloister-like gallery”
16th Century
English
lobby
“a covered passage, gallery, or entrance hall”
19th Century
English
lobby
“a group attempting to influence legislators or officials”
Modern English
English
lobby
“an entrance hall or a group seeking to influence decisions”