LACK, _vb._ to belittle, blame, reproach, despise. Mont., M.P., 43, 17; R.R., 3242; 3517; Gau., 17, 25. O.N. _hlakka_, to look down upon, O. Dan. _lakke_, to slander, O. Sw. _belacka_, id. See _lak_, sb. LAICHING, _sb._ sport, play. R.R., 647. From Sco. vb. _laike_, to play, O.N. _læika_. See _lak_. LAIF, LAVE, _sb._ the rest. O.N. _læif_, a leaving, pl. _læifar_, remnants, Norse _leiv_, id., _løyva_, to leave. Cannot come from O.E. _lāf_. See §20. LAIGH, _adj._ low. Ramsay, II, 20; Mansie Wauch, 106, 23. Same as Eng. _low_, from O.N. _lágr_, O. Sw. _lagher_, O. Dan. _lagh, lag_, low. In Eng., O.N. _ag_ > _ǫw_ > _ow_. In Scotland _ag_ > _aw_, did not become _ow_ later. So the regular Sco. form is _law_, or, with guttural, _lawch_. In _laigh_, however, _a_ has developed as _a_ would when not before _g_ or _h_. The form _logh_ also occurs. In Dunbar occur _low_, _law_, _laich_, and _loigh_. LAIGH, _vb._ to bend down, to kneel. Psalms XCV, 6. See _laigh_, adj. LAIKE, _sb._ the stake for which one plays. Montg., C., I, 109. O.N. _læikr_, a play, Norse _leik_, O. Dan. _legh_. Also means play in Sco., but the transferred meaning is common. It cannot come from O.E. _lāc_. The _e_-vowel in Cu., Westm., and S. Scotland proves an original _æi_-diphthong. See Part I, §16. LAIRET, _adj._ bemired. Psalms LXIX, 2. Norse _læir_, clay. Dan. dial. _ler_, O. Sw. _leer_, _ler_, id., Eng. dial. _lair_. See Wall. Jamieson gives _lair_, vb. to stick in the mire, _lair_, sb. a bog, _lairy_, adj. boggy. LAIRING, _sb._ gutter, deep mud. Burns, 10, 11. O.N. _læir_, clay. Same as Yorkshire _lyring_, for which see Wall. _Lyring_ seems to show original E. Scan. monophthongation of _æi_ to _e_. LAIT, _sb._ manner, trick. R.R., 273, 25, 36. O.N., Ic. _lát_, manners, _skipta lítum ok látum_, change shape and manners. O. Sw. _lat_, manner, way of proceeding. Cp. O.N. _láta-læti_, dissimulation, _látbragð_, gestures, and Dan. _lade_, to dissimulate, pretend. Norse _lata_, id. Probably related to O.N. _lát_. LAYKING, _sb._ jousting, a tournament. Wyntoun, VIII, 35. See _laik_. LAK, _sb._ a plaything. Wallace, VIII, 1410. Norse _leik_, a game, _leiker_ (pl.), games, toys. Sw. dial. _leika_, a doll, a play sister. Cp. Cu. _lakin_, a child's toy. LAK, _sb._ contempt, reproach, disgrace. Rolland, I, 455; Rosw. and Lill., 784; R.R., 3092. O.N. _lakr_, defective, O. Dan. _lak_, fault, deficiency. Sw. _lack_, fault, slander. O. Sw. _lakkare_, a slanderer. Cp. Dan. _lakkeskrift_, a satirical piece. See _lack_, vb.