Where does “leaf” come from?
Leaf comes from Middle English leef, from Old English lēaf, from Proto-Germanic laubą, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lewbʰ-, a root of uncertain meaning.
leaf (English): The usually green and flat organ that represents...
Definitions
- The usually green and flat organ that represents...
Ancestry of “leaf”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | Leofa | — |
| 2 | Old English | lēof | lief, dear |
| 3 | West Germanic | *leub | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | leubaz | dear, beloved |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lewbʰ- | to desire, covet, want; to admire, praise; to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lēw- | to sound, resound, sing out; to leave |
Words derived from “leaf”