Where does “Leu” come from?
Leu (German) comes from Middle High German lewe, from Old High German lēo, from Proto-Germanic *lēwō, from Proto-Germanic lewô, from Proto-Germanic -ô, from Proto-Indo-European -ō — Derives nouns from roots.
Leu (German): lion
Definitions
- lion
Ancestry of “Leu”, step by step
Leu traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle High German lewe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | lewe | — |
| 2 | Old High German | lēo | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *lēwō | scythe |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lewô | scythe |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ô | -ly; Forms agent nouns, often from the zero-grade... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -ō | Derives nouns from roots |
via Romanian leu
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Romanian | leu | lion; leu |