Where does “leute” come from?
leute (German) comes from Middle High German liute, from Old High German liuti, from Proto-West Germanic *liud(i), from Proto-Germanic liudīz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁léwdʰis, from Proto-Indo-European h₁lewdʰ- — to grow; people.
Ancestry of “leute”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | liute | — |
| 2 | Old High German | liuti | people, subordinates |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *liud(i) | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | liudīz | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁léwdʰis | people |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁lewdʰ- | to grow; people |