Where does “lest” come from?
lest (French) comes from Old French last, from Old Dutch last, from Proto-Germanic hlastuz, from Proto-Indo-European kleh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European kelh₂- — to beat; to break.
lest (French): dead weight; ballast
Ancestry of “lest”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | last | — |
| 2 | Old Dutch | last | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hlastuz | load, burden, cargo, freight |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kleh₂- | to put; to lay out |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kelh₂- | to beat; to break |
Words derived from “lest”