Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Legend” come from?

Legend (English) comes from Middle English legende, from Old French legende, from Medieval Latin legenda, from Latin legenda, from Latin legendum, from Latin legō, from Latin lēx, from Proto-Italic lēg- — to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...

Ancestry of “Legend”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishlegendeA hagiography, especially when read in church; A...
2Old Frenchlegendelegend
3Medieval Latinlegendaa legend, story, especially the lives of the...
4Latinlegendalegend; inflection of legendus: ##...
5Latinlegendumnominative neuter singular of legendus;...
6Latinlegō—
7Latinlēx—
8Proto-Italiclēg-—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-s—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leǵ- →