Where does “leal” come from?
Leal comes from Middle English leel, from Old French leial, from Latin legalis meaning "lawful," derived from the root leǵ- meaning "to gather" or "to speak" in Proto-Indo-European.
leal (English): Loyal, honest; True, genuine
Definitions
- Loyal, honest; True, genuine
Ancestry of “leal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | leel | — |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | leal | Alternative form of loial |
| 3 | Old French | leial | Alternative form of loial |
| 4 | Latin | lēgālis | legal |
| 5 | Latin | lēx | a proposition or motion for a law made to the people by a magistrate, a bill |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | lēg- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ-s | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ- | to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to... |