Lough
/lɒk/noun
A lake or inlet, especially one in Ireland or Scotland.
Did you know?Lough is the English spelling of Irish loch, while the same ancient root also produced English lake and lagoon through different linguistic paths.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lókus
“Lake, pool, or body of standing water”
Proto-Celtic
Proto-Celtic
*lokos
“Lake or pool”
Old Irish
Old Irish
loch
“Lake, pool, or inlet”
Middle English
Middle English
logh / louȝ
“A lake or arm of the sea, especially in northern and Scottish usage”
Modern English
English
lough
“A lake or inlet, particularly in Ireland and Scotland”