A high-resolution spectrum of lanthanum has been recorded by a Fourier Transform spectrometer in the wavelength range from 833nm to 1666nm (6000/cm to 12000/cm) using as light source a hollow cathode lamp operated with argon as the discharge carrier gas. In total, 2386 spectral lines were detected in this region, of which 555 lines could be classified as La I transitions and 10 lines as La II transitions. All La II transitions and 534 of these La I transitions were classified for the first time, and 6 of the La II transitions and 433 of the classified La I transitions appear to be new lines, which could not be found in the literature. The corresponding energy level data of classified lines are given. Additionally, 430 lines are assigned as Ar I lines and 394 as Ar II lines, of which 179 and 77, respectively, were classified for the first time. All 77 classified Ar II transitions as well as 159 of the classified Ar I transitions are new lines. Furthermore, the wavenumbers of 997 unclassified spectral lines were determined, 235 of which could be assigned as La lines, because of their hyperfine pattern. The remaining 762 lines may be either unclassified Ar lines or unresolved and unclassified La lines with only one symmetrical peak with an FWHM in the same order of magnitude as the Ar lines. The accuracy of the wavenumber for the classified lines with signal-to-noise-ratio higher than four is better than 0.006/cm which corresponds to an accuracy of 0.0004nm at 830nm and 0.0017nm at 1660nm, respectively.