lathe
LAYTH · noun
Origin
Lathe comes from Middle English lathe, meaning a turning-lathe or stand, from Old Norse hlað ("pile, heap"), itself from hlaða ("to load"). Dialect words in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish for stands and frames share this same root.
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Journey
What began as a word for a heap or loaded pile narrowed into the idea of a stand or support frame, and from there settled on the specific frame-and-spindle device used for turning wood or metal.
Related words
It's related to the English word "lade," both descending from the same Old Norse root meaning "to load."