Lumbar
/ˈlʌm.bɑːr/noun
Relating to the lower part of the back or the loins.
Did you know?Lumbar comes from Latin lumbāris, from lumbus meaning “loin,” a word that originally pointed to the body’s vital, fleshy middle—not a modern fitness zone.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lemb-
“A proposed ancestral root for the loins or lower body”
Latin
Latin
lumbus
“Loins; the fleshy part of the lower back”
Late Latin
Latin
lumbāris
“Of the loins or lower back”
Old French
Old French
lombaire
“Pertaining to the loins”
Middle English
English
lumbar
“Relating to the loins or lower back”
Modern English
English
lumbar
“Relating to the lower back”
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