Where does “leech” come from?
Leech derives from Middle English leche, from Latin leuga, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European leǵ- meaning to lie or recline.
leech (English): An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class...
Definitions
- An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class...
Ancestry of “leech”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | leche | physician; leachate; sluggish stream; doctor,... |
| 2 | Old English | lǣċe | doctor, physician; blood-sucking worm; muddy... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | lākī | doctor, physician |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lēkijaz | doctor, physician |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ- | to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to... |
Words derived from “leech”