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

  1. The usually green and flat organ that represents...

Ancestry of “leaf”, step by step

leaf traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English Leofa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old EnglishLeofa—
2Old Englishlēoflief, dear
3West Germanic*leub—
4Proto-Germanicleubazdear, beloved
5Proto-Indo-Europeanlewbʰ-to desire, covet, want; to admire, praise; to...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlēw-to sound, resound, sing out; to leave

via Middle English lef

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishlefleaf
2Old Englishlēafpermission, privilege; permission, leave; leaf,...
3Proto-Germaniclaubōpermission

Words derived from “leaf”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European lēw- →