lar

See also: Appendix:Variations of "lar"

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin lār (“ancestral deity or spirit”) from Etruscan.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /lɑː/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /lɑɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)

Noun

lar (plural lars or lares)

1. (Roman mythology, chiefly in the plural) singular of lares: a household god, particularly overseeing the family itself.
   • 1974, Guy Davenport, Tatlin!:

     Would the great emperor’s lar, free of its soldierly body rheumatic from German mists and browned and grizzled by the Indus sun, haunt that pinedark road to Elefsis to taste again the essences on which it fed and gather with voluptuous fingers the ghosts of roses?

2. The lar gibbon.

Usage notes

The gibbon is pluralized as lars. The Latin household gods usually appear as the plurale tantum Lares, following its Latin plural form and capitalized to denote a particular group of lares; the alternative forms Lars, lares, and lars sometimes appear.

Etymology 2

From Latin [Term?].

Alternative forms

• lars

Noun

lar

1. (historical) An Etruscan title, properly peculiar to the eldest son, but often mistaken for an integral part of the name.

References

• Chambers 1908.

Anagrams

• ALR, LRA

Albanian

Etymology

Borrowed through Vulgar Latin from Latin laurus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laɾ/

Noun

lar m (plural larë, definite lari, definite plural larët)

1. (botany) laurel (Laurus nobilis)

Declension

Declension of lar

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	lar	lari	larë	larët
accusative		larin
dative	lari	larit	larëve	larëve
ablative			larësh

Synonyms

• dafinë

Derived terms

• larëz, larth, larushkë

Bavarian

Alternative forms

• laar, laa

Etymology

From Old High German lāri, from Proto-West Germanic *lāʀi, from Proto-Germanic *lēziz. Cognate with German leer, Dutch laar, English leer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɑː/

Adjective

lar

1. empty

Galician

Traditional lar or lareira

Etymology 1

From Latin larem (“guardian spirit; home”), from Etruscan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaɾ/

Noun

lar m (plural lares)

1. home (place or building where one dwells)

   Miña casiña meu lar.

   My house, my home.

2. fireside
3. hearth
   • 1485, Antonio López Ferreiro, editor, Galicia Histórica. Colección diplomática, Santiago: Tipografía Galaica, page 286:

     iten vnna caldeyra de trager agoa, iten hua caldeyra de sobre do lar, iten dous caldeyros de mao

     item, a bucket for carrying water; item a cauldron for hanging over the hearth; item two hand cauldrons

4. a household or ancestral god in ancient Rome

Synonyms

• (home): casa, fogar
• (fireside): lareira
• (hearth): ástrago, larega, sollo

Derived terms

• larada
• lareira (“fireplace”)
• larengo (“piglet”)
• lariño (“nest”) (snug residence)

Etymology 2

Perhaps from Suevic or borrowed from Old Norse leir (“clay, mud”), from Proto-Germanic *laiza- (“clay”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *h₂leyH- (“to smear”).

Noun

lar m (plural lares)

1. clay

   Synonyms: arxila, xiz, toba, sarso, xarzo, greda

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “lar”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “lar”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “lar”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “lar”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Latin

Alternative forms

• lars

Etymology

Probably from Etruscan 𐌋𐌀𐌓 (lar), 𐌋𐌀𐌓𐌔 (lars), or 𐌋𐌀𐌓𐌈 (larθ, “lord”), though it could possibly be from Proto-Indo-European *las- (“eager”), cognate with lascivus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /laːr/, [ɫ̪äːr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /lar/, [lär]

Noun

lār m (genitive laris); third declension

1. the protective spirit of a place, particularly a household
2. home, household

Declension

Third-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	lār	larēs
genitive	laris	larum
dative	larī	laribus
accusative	larem	larēs
ablative	lare	laribus
vocative	lār	larēs

Related terms

• Larēs

Descendants

• Italian: lare
• Asturian: llar
• Catalan: llar
• English: lar
• Galician: lar
• Portuguese: lar
• Spanish: lar, llar

References

• “Lar”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “lar”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “lar”, in William Smith, editor (1848), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray
• De Vaan, Michiel (2008) Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN

Middle English

Noun

lar

1. Alternative form of lore

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

lar

1. present tense of la

Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

lar

1. present tense of la

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *laiʀu, from Proto-Germanic *laizō, from *laizijaną (“to teach”). Cognate with Old Saxon lēra, Dutch leer, Old High German lēra (German Lehre).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɑːr/

Noun

lār f (nominative plural lāre)

1. teaching, learning, education
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Passion of Saint Sebastian, Martyr"

     Sebastianus hatte sum halig godes ðegn se wæs lange on lare on mediolana byrig and wearð on criste gefullod mid fullum geleafan.

     There was a holy servant of God, called Sebastian, who was a long time in the city of Milan for education, and was baptized into Christ with full faith.

2. lesson
3. teaching
4. doctrine
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint George, Martyr"

     Nāst þū lā Geori þæt ūre godas swincað mid þē and ġit hī synd ġeþyldiġe þæt hī þe miltsion. Nū lǣre ic ðē swā swā lēofne sunu þæt ðū þæra cristenra lāre forlǣte mid ealle and tō mīnum rǣde hraðe ġebūge swā þæt ðū offriġe þām ārwurðan Appoline and þū mycelne wurðmynt miht swā beġitan.

     Knowest thou not, O George, that our gods are striving with thee, and even yet they are patient, that they may pity thee; now I exhort thee, as a beloved son, that thou altogether quit the Christians' doctrine, and quickly incline to my counsel, so that thou sacrifice to the venerable Apollo, and thou mayest so obtain great honour.'

5. advice, counsel
6. school
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Eugenia, Virgin"

     Ða befæste se fæder philippus to lare þæt heo on woruld-wysdome wǣre getogen æfter greciscre uðwytegunge and lǣdenre getingnysse.

     Then her father Philip put her to school that she might be educated in worldly wisdom according to the Greek philosophy and Latin eloquence.

Declension

Strong ō-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	lār	lāra, lāre
accusative	lāre	lāra, lāre
genitive	lāre	lāra
dative	lāre	lārum

Derived terms

• bōclār
• mislār

Related terms

• lǣran
• lǣring
• lǣrestre
• lǣringmǣden
• lǣringmann

Descendants

• Middle English: lore, lar, lare, layre, lere, leyre, loore, lære, leore, loare (Early Middle English)
  • English: lore
    • → Russian: лор (lor)
    • → Ukrainian: лор (lor)
  • Scots: lare, lair

Polish

lar sense 1

lar sense 2

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin lār.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlar/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ar
• Syllabification: lar
• Homophone: Lar

Noun

lar m animal

2. (Roman mythology, chiefly in the plural) lar (household god, particularly overseeing the family itself)
4. lar, lar gibbon, common gibbon, white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar)

   Synonym: gibon białoręki

Declension

Declension of lar

	singular	plural
nominative	lar	lary
genitive	lara	larów
dative	larowi	larom
accusative	lara	lary
instrumental	larem	larami
locative	larze	larach
vocative	larze	lary

Further reading

• lar in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• lar in PWN's encyclopedia

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin larem (“guardian spirit”), likely from Etruscan 𐌋𐌀𐌓 (lar), 𐌋𐌀𐌓𐌔 (lars), or 𐌋𐌀𐌓𐌈 (larθ, “lord”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈlaʁ/ [ˈlah]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈlaʁ/ [ˈlah]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ˈlaɾ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈlaʁ/ [ˈlaχ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈlaɻ/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈlaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈlaɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈla.ɾi/

• (Caipira Brazil) IPA^(key): /laɹ/
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Hyphenation: lar

Noun

lar m (plural lares)

1. (endearing) home (place or building where one dwells)

   Synonym: casa

   Não há lugar como o nosso lar.

   There is no place like home.

2. hearth (place in a home for lighting fires)

   Synonym: lareira

3. the surface of a baking oven

Usage notes

Lar is not as used as loosely as English home. Lar is used to express affection to one’s abode; in other contexts, casa is used instead.

Derived terms

• do lar
• lar, doce lar
• lareira

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin lārem, in its current form most likely a learned borrowing. A popular or inherited form also existed, referring to the irons in a hearth on which vats were hung to heat water or make stews. The word may ultimately be of Etruscan origin. Doublet of llar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaɾ/ [ˈlaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: lar

Noun

lar m (plural lares)

1. hearth

   Synonym: hogar

See also

• casa f

 

Further reading

• “lar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10