Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “leaky” come from?

Leaky derives from English leak, from Middle English leke, from Middle Dutch leken, from Old Dutch lekan, from Proto-Indo-European leg-.

leaky (English): Having leaks; not fully sealed

Definitions

  1. Having leaks; not fully sealed

Ancestry of “leaky”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishlekeA plant in the genus "Allium"; Something of...
2Old Englishlēaconion, leek; leek; a garden herb, leek, onion,...
3Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
4Proto-West Germanictūnfence
5Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
6Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
7Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “leaky”

  • leakiness
  • nonleaky
  • leakily
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →