Where does “levre” come from?
levre (Middle English) comes from Old English læfer, from Latin laver, from Latin lavo, from Proto-Italic lawaō, from Proto-Indo-European léwh₃eti, from Proto-Indo-European lewh₃- — to wash.
Ancestry of “levre”, step by step
levre traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English læfer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | læfer | reed, rush |
| 2 | Latin | laver | a water-plant, possibly water parsnip;... |
| 3 | Latin | lavo | I wash, bathe; I wet, moisten |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | lawaō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | léwh₃eti | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lewh₃- | to wash |
via Old English leber
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | leber | a rush |