Where does “left” come from?
left (Middle English) comes from Middle English laft, from Old English læfd, from Old English lǣfan, from Frankish laibijan, from Proto-Germanic laibijaną, from Proto-Germanic lībaną, from Proto-Indo-European leyp-, from Proto-Indo-European lēy- — to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave...
Ancestry of “left”, step by step
left traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English laft
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | laft | past participle of leave |
| 2 | Old English | læfd | — |
| 3 | Old English | lǣfan | to leave |
| 4 | Frankish | laibijan | to leave; to leave behind |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | laibijaną | to leave behind, to leave remaining |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lībaną | to remain, to be left |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | leyp- | to stick; fat or sticky substance |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |