Load and Lode Were Once the Same Word
A load is a burden carried. The identical-sounding lode, a vein of ore, split off from it.
A load is a weight or quantity carried. Old English *lad* meant a way or journey, and gave two modern words: *load*, what is carried on a journey, and *lode*, a vein of ore, from the sense of a course or path followed underground. The spellings separated only in the seventeenth century. The *lodestar* is the star that guides a course, and the *lodestone* a magnet that points the way, both keeping the original meaning.
- A burden. *A heavy load.*
- To fill. *Load the van.*
- Lode — a vein of ore. *A rich lode.*
- Lodestar — a guiding star. *A lodestar.*
- Old English — *lad*, a way. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | load | A load. |
| Plural | loads | Loads. |
| Verb | load | Loading. |
| Related | lode | A lode. |
| Related | lodestar | A lodestar. |
- The cart carried a full load.Burden.
- Miners followed the lode.Ore.
- Lad meant a way.Etymology.
The guiding family
- Lode — a vein followed through rock
- Lodestar — the star used to steer by
- Lodestone — magnetite, which points north
- Lead — to guide, from a related root
- Load — what is carried along the way
Old English *lad*, a way, journey or carrying, related to *lead*.
Are load and lode the same word?
They were. Old English lad meant a way or journey, and the spellings separated only in the seventeenth century.
What is a lodestone?
A naturally magnetised piece of magnetite. It points north, which is why it was named for showing the way.