Etymology

The etymology of this n. is obscure, but some connection with early Sw compounds loska-mader 'bachelor' and loska-kona 'unmarried woman' (cited by CV; Söderwall (1884) s.v. cites the adj. in the phrase lösk kona) is plausible, and may suggest an unrecorded ON element *lask- 'unmarried' lies behind the English word; cp. (rare) OIcel lǫskr 'weak, idle' (< PGmc *laskwaz, cp. MLG lasch 'tired, weak'). OED suggests a sense development from 'unoccupied, having no fixed abode', which it notes also occurs in MSw. Spellings in <s(s)> remain to be accounted for, however. Bradley (1894) cites as parallels N ME ass < ON askr and Sc buss < ON buskr.

PGmc Ancestor

?*lask-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

cp. lǫskr (adj.) 'weak, idle'
(ONP lǫskr (adj.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

MSw lösk

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

D1c

Attestation

First attested in the 14c, it occurs in N texts in ME before becoming widespread in early MnE (MED, OED). It continues in dial usage primarily in the N, Sc and Irel, but also as far afield as Som. (EDD).

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

WA 3746

Bibliography

MED lā̆s(se (n.) , OED lass (n.) , HTOED , EDD lass (sb.)