An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/los

by Friedrich Kluge

los, adjective, ‘loose, released,’ from Middle High German lôs, ‘free, unimpeded, bare, plundered, released, wanton, not solid, frivolous’; corresponding to Gothic laus, ‘empty, invalid, vain,’ Old Icelandic ‘loose, free, unimpeded,’ Anglo-Saxon leás, ‘loose, false, deceitful’ (to this is allied English leas, ‘lie’ and English -less, only as the second part of a compound; English loose is borrowed from Scandinavian), Dutch los, Old Saxon lôs; the adjective form lausa-, common to Teutonic, is from the root lus, ‘to be loose,’ discussed under verlieren. From the Teutonic adjective is derived Spanish lozano, ‘merry, cheerful.’ See lösen.