lathe

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.

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.

It's related to the English word "lade," both descending from the same Old Norse root meaning "to load."