Where did the term "on the lam" originate from?

Answer 1

"Lam, as in on the lam, first appears in 1897 and comes from the verb lam which means `run away.' It is of unknown origin, but sometimes attempts are made to connect it to lam `beat,' as in lambaste. This connection becomes clearer if one considers that beat it also means `run away,' and one source indicates that this meaning of beat it is Old English."