luck
UK[lʌk]US[lʌk]
n
Success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions.
n
Chance considered as a force that causes good or bad things to happen.
Etymology
The word 'luck' entered English in the late Middle English period, borrowed from Middle Low German 'luk', a short form of 'gelücke'. This Germanic root is related to Middle Dutch 'gheluc' and modern German 'Glück', meaning fortune or happiness. The original sense was tied to the concept of a happening or an event, good or bad, that occurs by chance. Over time, its meaning in English narrowed to focus predominantly on the favorable outcomes of chance, encapsulating the unpredictable and often desired nature of fortune. This journey from a general term for an occurrence to a specific term for chance-driven success illustrates the human tendency to personify and name the capricious forces believed to influence fate.
Analysis
The word 'luck' is a simplex word of Middle Low German origin, borrowed into English. It does not contain separable morphemes within its modern English spelling.
Examples
With any luck, we'll arrive before it starts to rain.
She had the bad luck to break her ankle the day before the tournament.
I couldn't believe my luck when I found the exact book I was looking for.