Where does “len” come from?
len (English) comes from Middle English lenen, from Old English lǣnan, from Proto-West Germanic laihnijan, from Proto-Germanic laihnijaną, from Proto-Germanic laihną, from Proto-Indo-European leykʷ- — to leave.
Ancestry of “len”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lenen | to lean |
| 2 | Old English | lǣnan | to lend; give, grant, lease |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | laihnijan | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | laihnijaną | to loan, lend |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | laihną | that which is lent, loan; fief |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leykʷ- | to leave |