lung
UK[lʌŋ]US[lʌŋ]
n
Either of the two organs in the chest used for breathing.
Etymology
The word 'lung' has a direct lineage from Old English 'lungen', which itself evolved from the Proto-Germanic 'lungwōn-'. This Proto-Germanic root is connected to the adjective 'linghwaz-', meaning 'light' in weight, a reference to the organ's physical buoyancy. The semantic link is clear: the organ's defining characteristic of being less dense than other tissues led to its name. This term is cognate with words in other Germanic languages, such as German 'Lunge' and Dutch 'long', all sharing the same ancient descriptive origin.
Analysis
This is a simplex word of Old English origin. The form 'lung' comes from the Old English 'lungen', which is related to the concept of being 'light' in weight, likely because lungs float in water.
Examples
Smoking can cause severe damage to your lungs.
The doctor listened to her lungs with a stethoscope.
He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh air.