Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “leprous” come from?

Leprous comes from Old French leprous, derived from Latin leprosus, formed with the Latin suffix -osus from Ancient Greek λέπρα meaning leprosy, which derives from λεπίς meaning scale, ultimately from λέπω meaning to peel.

leprous (English): Relating to or infected with one of the diseases...

Definitions

  1. Relating to or infected with one of the diseases...

Ancestry of “leprous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchleprousleprous; having leprosy; a leper
2Latinleprosusleprous
3Latinlēpra—
4Ancient Greekλέπραleprosy
5Ancient Greekλεπρόςscaly, scabby, rough; leprous, mangy
6Ancient Greekλεπίςscale, flake, shell, husk; epithelial debris;...
7Ancient Greekλέπωpeel, strip off the rind or husk

Words derived from “leprous”

  • leprously
  • leprousness
Every word from Ancient Greek λέπω →