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lanyard

Etymology and origin of the English word lanyard

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈlæn.jəd/ (UK); /ˈlæn.jɚd/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is an alteration of Middle English lanyer “strap, thong”[2][3][4][5][6] under the influence of yard “spar”.[2][3][4][6] Lanyer is from Old French laniere “thong, strap”,[2][3][4][5][6] from lasne “strap”,[2][3][4] an alteration of a Germanic word related to Old High German nestila “lace, strap”.[2][3][4] Barnhart and Etymonline suggest the 17th-century word may be a fresh borrowing from French.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

A lace or strap for fastening parts of armour or clothing, as lainer (about 1330),[3][4] now obsolete.[7][4]

Semantic evolution

The nautical sense, a short rope for securing rigging, appeared in 1626.[7][3][4] From 1825 it also meant a cord for firing a gun,[7] and later a cord worn around the neck or shoulder to carry a whistle, knife or identity card,[2][5][6][1] or as a military decoration.[5][6]

Timeline

  • about 1330 – a strap for armour or clothing.[3][4]
  • 1626 – a rope used to secure shrouds and stays.[7][3][4]
  • 1825 – a cord for firing a gun.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A short rope used on a ship to fasten rigging.
  2. A cord worn around the neck or shoulder to hold something, such as a whistle or identity card.
  3. A cord with a hook used to fire a cannon.
  4. A coloured cord worn on a uniform as a military decoration.
  • lanier
  • halyard

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Lanyard.” Etymologically, 12 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/lanyard. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·