Where does “level” come from?
Level comes from Middle English level, from Old French livel, from Latin libella meaning "small balance," derived from Latin liber, which traces to Latin libra meaning "balance or pound weight," ultimately from Proto-Italic louðeros and Proto-Indo-European lewbʰ- or h₁lewdʰ-.
level (English): The same height at all places; parallel to a flat...
Definitions
- The same height at all places; parallel to a flat...
Ancestry of “level”, step by step
level traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English level
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | level | — |
| 2 | Old French | livel | — |
| 3 | Latin | lībella | An as (the tenth part of a denarius) |
| 4 | Latin | lībra | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ζυγόν | yoke, for joining animals; yoke, burden; in... |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | dzugón | yoke |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | yugóm | yoke |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | yewg- | to join, to yoke, to tie together |
via French Level
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | Level | — |