Where does “lee” come from?
lee (Middle English) comes from Old English hlēo, from Proto-Germanic *hlaiw, from Proto-Germanic hlaiwaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱley-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.
lee (Middle English): To lie; to speak falsely
Ancestry of “lee”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | hlēo | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | *hlaiw | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hlaiwaz | shelter |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱley- | to shelter, cover; to lean, slope, incline |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |