Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “lese” come from?

Lese comes from Middle English lesen, from Old French lesser, from Latin laxo, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to loosen or let go.

lese (English): To lose; To destroy; To forsake or abandon

Definitions

  1. To lose; To destroy; To forsake or abandon

Ancestry of “lese”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishlesento lose, be deprived of; to damn, doom to...
2Old FrenchlesserAlternative form of laissier
3Latinlaxō—
4Latinlaxuswide, spacious, roomy; yielding; loose, slack,...
5Proto-Indo-European(s)lēg-to let go; weak, feeble; loose; dissolute, lewd;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)lēg- →