English word lust comes from Proto-Germanic *lausaz, Proto-Indo-European *ḱer-, Proto-Germanic - þuz, and later Proto-Germanic *lustuz (Lust, desire, want.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *lausaz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | (in compounds) -less, lacking, devoid of. Empty, devoid. False, untrue. Loose, free. |
| *ḱer- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| - þuz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *ḱlewe- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | to hear |
| *lustuz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Lust, desire, want. |
| *hlustiz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Ear, ear opening. Hearing. |
| lust | Old English (ang) | Desire, pleasure, appetite, lust. |
| hlyst | Old English (ang) | Listening. The sense of hearing (one of the five senses). |
| lust | Middle English (enm) | |
| lust | English (en) | (archaic) A delightful cause of joy, pleasure.. (archaic) A general want or longing, not necessarily sexual.. (obsolete) virility; vigour; active power. A feeling of strong desire, especially such a feeling driven by sexual arousal. (intransitive, usually in the phrase "lust after") To look at or watch with a strong desire, especially of a sexual nature. |