Where does “lee” come from?

Lee derives from Middle English lee, from Old English hlēo, from Proto-Germanic hlēwaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱal(w)e-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lewgʰ-.

lee (English): A protected cove or harbor, out of the wind; The...

Definitions

  1. A protected cove or harbor, out of the wind; The...

Ancestry of “lee”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishleeTo lie; to speak falsely
2Old Englishhlēoshelter
3Proto-Germanic*hlaiw—
4Proto-Germanichlaiwazshelter
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱley-to shelter, cover; to lean, slope, incline
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

Words derived from “lee”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱley- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hlaiwaz →
lee — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer