Where does “levain” come from?

levain (English) comes from French levain, from Old French levain, from Latin levāmen, from Latin levō, from Latin lēvis, from Proto-Italic leɣʷis, from Proto-Indo-European h₁léngʰus, from Proto-Indo-European h₁lengʷʰ- — light.

levain (English): A starter dough for sourdough bread

Definitions

  1. A starter dough for sourdough bread

Ancestry of “levain”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchlevainsourdough; leaven
2Old Frenchlevain—
3Latinlevāmen—
4Latinlevōto raise, elevate, lift up
5Latinlēvislight, not heavy
6Proto-Italicleɣʷislight
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁léngʰuslightweight
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁lengʷʰ-light
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁lengʷʰ- →