lass
UK[læs]US[læs]
n
A girl or young woman.
Etymology
The word 'lass' entered Middle English from Old Norse, specifically the word 'las', which carried the dual meaning of an unmarried woman and a state of weakness or tiredness. This connection may reflect historical societal views linking youth, femininity, and vulnerability. The term became firmly established in Northern English and Scots dialects before spreading into wider, though now somewhat archaic or regional, English usage. Its journey from a specific Norse descriptor to a general, often affectionate, term for a young woman illustrates the natural evolution of language through cultural contact.
Analysis
The word is a simplex. It is a loanword from Old Norse 'las' meaning 'unmarried woman' or 'weak, tired', which is of uncertain earlier origin. Its functional role is as a complete lexical unit.
Examples
The young lass helped her grandmother with the shopping.
He fell in love with a bonny lass from the Highlands.
She was just a lass of sixteen when she wrote her first novel.