Where does “leek” come from?
Leek comes from Middle English lek, from Latin leuga, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European leg-, a root meaning to gather or collect.
leek (English): The vegetable "Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum",...
Definitions
- The vegetable "Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum",...
Ancestry of “leek”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | leke | A plant in the genus "Allium"; Something of... |
| 2 | Old English | lēac | onion, leek; leek; a garden herb, leek, onion,... |
| 3 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 6 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
Words derived from “leek”