English word lai comes from Proto-Indo-European *lakw-, Ancient Greek λαός, Proto-Germanic *laiką, and later Proto-Indo-European *lókus (Pond, pool.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *lakw- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | lake, pond, lake, pool, water, body of water, lake |
| λαός | Ancient Greek (grc) | |
| *laiką | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *lókus | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | Pond, pool. |
| λαϊκός | Ancient Greek (grc) | |
| laik, laih | Frankish (frk) | |
| *laih | Frankish (frk) | |
| *laguz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | (Runic alphabet) name of the L-rune (ᛚ). Sea, ocean. Water. Wetness. |
| laicus | Latin (lat) | Lay (of the laity). Unconsecrated. |
| lagu | Old English (ang) | Sea, water, lake. The runic character ᛚ (/l/). |
| lai | Old French (fro) | Ugly Lai (Medieval text). |
| lay | Middle English (enm) | |
| lai | English (eng) | (historical) A mostly North European form of medieval song, with stanzas that do not repeat. |