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Added 7 October 2026

loan

/ləʊn/ noun

In Latin: mūtuum, crēditum Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about loan at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The temporary provision of money (usually at interest).
A word borrowed from another language; e.g. `blitz' is a German word borrowed into modern English.

verb

Give temporarily; let have for a limited time.
I will lend you my car

Origin

From Middle English lone, lane, from Old Norse lán, from Proto-Germanic *laihną, from Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ- (“to leave (over)”). Cognate with Icelandic lán, Swedish lån, Danish lån, German Lehen (“fief”), Dutch leen (“fief”), West Frisian lien, North Frisian leen (“fief; loan; office”), Scots lane, lain, len, Old English lǣn. More at lend.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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