Lasso: 'Lasso' and 'lace' are cousins —… | etymologist.ai
lasso
/læˈsuː/·noun·1768·Established
Origin
English 'lasso' from Spanish 'lazo,' from Latin 'laqueus' (noose, snare) — a cousin of 'lace,' both deriving from the idea of an intertwined cord.
Definition
A rope with a noose at one end, used for catching cattle or horses by throwing it over their heads.
The Full Story
Spanish18th centurywell-attested
From American Spanish 'lazo' (a lasso, a snare, a bow-knot), from Latin 'laqueus' (a noose, a snare, a trap, a bond), possibly from PIE *lak- (to seize, to catch, to ensnare). The Latin noun 'laqueus' denoted any device for catching or binding — a hunter's snare, a noose for execution, or a rhetorical trap. From 'laqueus' English also obtained 'lace
Did you know?
'Lasso' and 'lace' arecousins — both from Latin 'laqueus' (a noose, a snare). 'Lace' came throughOldFrench 'las' (a net, a cord), keeping the 'intertwined cord' sense. 'Lasso' came through Spanish 'lazo,' keeping the 'catching noose' sense. A 'lariat' is yet another form of the
cattle is a straight line: in both cases the implement functions by encircling and catching a target through a tightening loop. Key roots: laqueus (Latin: "noose, snare").