Where Does the Word 'Ladder' Come From?

Ladders have been helping us with our daily lives for over 10,000 years – we know this because they can be seen in Spanish cave paintings from around 8,000 BC and are even mentioned in the Bible. The word “ladder” therefore holds a rich history that dates back centuries.

Ngaro Cave Painting by Diane Wade Kettle is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Etymological Roots

The word “ladder” comes from the Old English word "hlæder" which itself is derived from the verb “hlaiþan" meaning “to climb”.
If you trace the word even further back, there are links to the Proto-Indo-European root “klei-“ meaning “to incline” or “to lean”. These roots work together to form the definition of “ladder” that we know today, being a leaning tool that we use to climb to higher places.

Evolution of the Word

As the English language continued to evolve into the Middle English period, so did the word “ladder”, transforming from "hlæder" to “ladere” and then “ladder” in modern English.

These shifts in pronunciation and phonetics reflect the broader change that was happening in England at that time such as the Norman Conquest and the blending of Anglo-Saxon and Norman French vocabularies.

In modern language, the word “ladder” has developed a metaphorical usage to mean an uphill journey to reach success. We now not only use the word “ladder” to describe the physical piece of equipment, but also as a symbol for progression and achievement in the terms “corporate ladder”, “career ladder” and “social ladder”.

If you want to know more about the history of ladders, check out our blog post When Were Ladders Invented?