Words related to lore
Old English leornian "to get knowledge, be cultivated; study, read, think about," from Proto-Germanic *lisnojanan (cognates: Old Frisian lernia, Middle Dutch leeren, Dutch leren, Old High German lernen, German lernen "to learn," Gothic lais "I know"), with a base sense of "to follow or find the track," from PIE root *lois- "furrow, track." It is related to German Gleis "track," and to Old English læst "sole of the foot" (see last (n.1)).
From c. 1200 as "to hear of, ascertain." Transitive use (He learned me (how) to read), now considered vulgar (except in reflexive expressions, I learn English), was acceptable from c. 1200 until early 19c. It is preserved in past-participle adjective learned "having knowledge gained by study." Old English also had læran "to teach" (see lere). Related: Learning.
"traditional beliefs and customs of the common people," 1846, coined by antiquarian William J. Thoms (1803-1885) as an Anglo-Saxonism (replacing popular antiquities) in imitation of German compounds in Volk- and first published in the Athenaeum of Aug. 22, 1846; see folk + lore. Old English folclar meant "homily."
This word revived folk in a modern sense of "of the common people, whose culture is handed down orally," and opened up a flood of compound formations: Folk art (1892), folk-hero (1874), folk-medicine (1877), folk-tale (1850; Old English folctalu meant "genealogy"), folk-song (1847, "a song of the people," translating German Volkslied), folk-singer (1876), folk-dance (1877).
"knowing, wide-awake, untrusting, suspicious, alert," 1718, originally slang, with -y (2), but otherwise of unknown origin. Perhaps from dialectal lere "learning, knowledge" (see lore), or from leer (v.) in a now-obscure sense "walk stealthily with averted looks, sneak away" (1580s). OED suggests connection with archaic leer (adj.) "empty, useless," a general Germanic word (cognate with German leer, Dutch laar), of unknown origin.
also schoolhouse, "building appropriated for school use, place where students are taught," c. 1300, scole-hous (late 13c. in place names), from school (n.1) + house (n.). Latin schola was translated in Old English as larhus, literally "lore house;" see lore (n.). But this seems to have been a glossary word only.
Middle English tēchen, from Old English tæcan (past tense tæhte, past participle tæht) "to show (transitive), point out, declare; demonstrate," also "give instruction, train, assign, direct; warn; persuade."
This is reconstructed to be from Proto-Germanic *taikijan "to show" (source also of Old High German zihan, German zeihen "to accuse," Gothic ga-teihan "to announce"), from PIE root *deik- "to show, point out." It is related to Old English tacen, tacn "sign, mark" (see token). The notion is "to show how to do something by way of information or instruction." Related: Taught; teaching.
By mid-14c. as "disseminate" a system of belief. By c. 1200 as "indicate" how something is to happen; used by 1560s in threats, "make known to one at a cost."
Enraged lemonade vendor (Edgar Kennedy): I'll teach you to kick me!
Chico: you don't have to teach me, I know how. [kicks him]
["Duck Soup," 1933]
The usual sense of Old English tæcan was "show, declare, warn, persuade" (compare German zeigen "to show," from the same root); while the Old English word for "to teach, instruct, guide" was more commonly læran, source of modern learn and lore.
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "furrow, track."
It forms all or part of: delirious; delirium; last (n.1) "wooden model of a human foot used by shoemakers;" last (v.) "endure, go on existing;" learn; learning; Lehrjahre; lore.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Latin lira "furrow;" Old Prussian lyso "field bed;" Old Church Slavonic lexa "field bed, furrow;" Old High German leisa "track," Gothic laistjan "to follow," Old English læran "to teach."
