Where does “lest” come from?
lest (Icelandic) comes from Middle Low German last, from Old Saxon hladan, from Proto-West Germanic hlaþan, from Proto-Germanic hlaþaną, from Proto-Indo-European kleh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European kelh₂- — to beat; to break.
lest (Icelandic): train, file, row, line; railway train; cargo hold
Definitions
- train, file, row, line; railway train; cargo hold
Ancestry of “lest”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | last | — |
| 2 | Old Saxon | hladan | to load, to lade |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hlaþan | to load |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hlaþaną | to load |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kleh₂- | to put; to lay out |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kelh₂- | to beat; to break |
Words derived from “lest”