* Old English: "lust" originally meant "pleasure, delight, enjoyment." This sense of the word reflected a more neutral connotation of the feeling.
* Proto-Germanic: The ultimate origin is traced back to the Proto-Germanic word "*lusti*", which also meant "pleasure, enjoyment."
Over time, the meaning of "lust" shifted to specifically denote intense sexual desire in English. This shift occurred during the Middle Ages and was influenced by religious and moral attitudes toward sexuality.