Where does “lehen” come from?
lehen (German) comes from Proto-Germanic laihną, from Proto-Indo-European leykʷ- — to leave.
Ancestry of “lehen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | laihną | that which is lent, loan; fief |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | leykʷ- | to leave |