Where does “leken” come from?
leken (Middle English) comes from Middle Dutch lēken, from Old Dutch lekan, from Proto-West Germanic *lekan, from Proto-Germanic lekaną, from Proto-Indo-European leg- — to leak.
leken (Middle English): to let water in or out
Definitions
- to let water in or out
Ancestry of “leken”, step by step
leken traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle Dutch lēken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | lēken | to leak, to be leaky |
| 2 | Old Dutch | lekan | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *lekan | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lekaną | To leak; seep; drip |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | leg- | to leak |
via Old Norse leka
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | leka | to drip, dribble; to leak, be leaky; to make... |