Where does “leper” come from?
Leper comes from Middle English lepre, from Latin leprae, from Ancient Greek λέπρα, from λεπίς meaning scale, ultimately from λέπω meaning to peel.
leper (English): A person who has leprosy; A person who is...
Definitions
- A person who has leprosy; A person who is...
Ancestry of “leper”, step by step
leper traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English lepre
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lepre | — |
| 2 | Old French | lepre | leprosy |
| 3 | Latin | leprae | nominative plural of lepra; genitive singular of... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | λέπρα | leprosy |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | λεπρός | scaly, scabby, rough; leprous, mangy |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | λεπίς | scale, flake, shell, husk; epithelial debris;... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | λέπω | peel, strip off the rind or husk |