Where does “leftenant” come from?
leftenant (English) comes from English lieutenant, from Middle French lieutenant, from Middle French lieu, from Old French leu, from Latin locus, from Old Latin stlocus, from Proto-Italic stlokos, from Proto-Indo-European stel- — to put, to place; to locate.
leftenant (English): Archaic form of lieutenant
Definitions
- Archaic form of lieutenant
Ancestry of “leftenant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | lieutenant | The lowest Junior Commissioned Officer rank in... |
| 2 | Middle French | lieutenant | lieutenant |
| 3 | Middle French | lieu | place |
| 4 | Old French | leu | wolf; place |
| 5 | Latin | locus | place, spot; a passage of literature; "in the... |
| 6 | Old Latin | stlocus | — |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | stlokos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | stel- | to put, to place; to locate |