Where does “leavening” come from?
Leavening comes from Middle English levain, from Late Latin levamen meaning "that which alleviates," derived from Latin levis meaning "light," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁lengʰ-.
leavening (English): present participle of leaven; The process by...
Definitions
- present participle of leaven; The process by...
Ancestry of “leavening”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | leaven | Any agent used to make dough rise or to have a... |
| 2 | English | leave | To have a consequence or remnant; To depart; to... |
| 3 | French | lever | To raise, lift; To rise, stand up; To get up |
| 4 | Middle French | lever | to lift |
| 5 | Old French | lever | to lift; to get up |
| 6 | Latin | levō | to raise, elevate, lift up |
| 7 | Latin | lēvis | light, not heavy |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | leɣʷis | light |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁léngʰus | lightweight |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁lengʷʰ- | light |