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
- A protected cove or harbor, out of the wind; The...
Ancestry of “lee”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lee | To lie; to speak falsely |
| 2 | Old English | hlēo | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *hlaiw | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hlaiwaz | shelter |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱley- | to shelter, cover; to lean, slope, incline |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |