Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “overleaven” come from?

overleaven (English) comes from English leaven, from English leave, from French lever, from Middle French lever, from Old French lever, from Latin levō, from Latin lēvis, from Proto-Italic leɣʷis — light.

overleaven (English): To leaven too much; To change excessively; to...

Definitions

  1. To leaven too much; To change excessively; to...

Ancestry of “overleaven”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishleavenAny agent used to make dough rise or to have a...
2EnglishleaveTo have a consequence or remnant; To depart; to...
3FrenchleverTo raise, lift; To rise, stand up; To get up
4Middle Frenchleverto lift
5Old Frenchleverto lift; to get up
6Latinlevō—
7Latinlēvis—
8Proto-Italicleɣʷis—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁léngʰuslightweight
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁lengʷʰ-light
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁lengʷʰ- →