Where does “leutnant” come from?
leutnant (Lower Sorbian) comes from German Leutnant, 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 — to put, to place; to locate.
leutnant (Lower Sorbian): second lieutenant
Ancestry of “leutnant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Leutnant | lieutenant |
| 2 | French | lieutenant | lieutenant |
| 3 | French | lieu | place; any of several fish from the Pollachius... |
| 4 | Middle French | lieu | place |
| 5 | Old French | leu | wolf; place |
| 6 | Latin | locus | place, spot; a passage of literature; "in the... |
| 7 | Old Latin | stlocus | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | stlokos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | stel- | to put, to place; to locate |