Where does “leeches” come from?
Leeches derives from Middle English leche, from Latin leuga, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European leǵ- or leg-, a root of uncertain original meaning.
leeches (English): plural of leech; Third-person singular simple...
Definitions
- plural of leech; Third-person singular simple...
Ancestry of “leeches”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | leech | An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class... |
| 2 | Middle English | leche | physician; leachate; sluggish stream; doctor,... |
| 3 | Old English | lǣċe | doctor, physician; blood-sucking worm; muddy... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | lākī | doctor, physician |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lēkijaz | doctor, physician |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ- | to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to... |