Where does “Leutnant” come from?
Leutnant (German) comes from French lieutenant, from French lieu, from Middle French lieu, from Old French leu, from Latin locus, from Old Latin stlocus, from Proto-Italic stlokos, from Proto-Indo-European stel- — to put, to place; to locate.
Leutnant (German): lieutenant
Definitions
- lieutenant
Ancestry of “Leutnant”, step by step
Leutnant traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French lieutenant
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | lieutenant | lieutenant |
| 2 | French | lieu | place; any of several fish from the Pollachius... |
| 3 | Middle French | lieu | place |
| 4 | Old French | leu | wolf; place |
| 5 | Latin | locus | place, spot; a passage of literature; "in the... |
| 6 | Old Latin | stlocus | — |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | stlokos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | stel- | to put, to place; to locate |
via Middle French lieutenant
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | lieutenant | lieutenant person who executes the plans and directives of another |
| 2 | Middle French | tenant | holding |