Low
/loʊ/noun
Situated below the usual level or height; not high.
Did you know?English low is ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to bow, bend, or stoop,” so the word began as a physical posture before becoming a height word.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leugʰ-
“to bend, bow, or stoop”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*lauhaz / *lūhaz
“bent, low, or inclined”
Old English
OE
hlǣw / lǣg
“low, not high; lying close to the ground”
Middle English
ME
lowe
“low in height, rank, or degree”
Modern English
English
low
“situated beneath the normal level; not high”