Where does “līhen” come from?
līhen (Middle High German) comes from Old High German līhan, from Proto-West Germanic līhwan, from Proto-Germanic līhwaną, from Proto-Indo-European léykʷt, from Proto-Indo-European leykʷ- — to leave.
Ancestry of “līhen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | līhan | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | līhwan | to lend |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | līhwaną | to lend |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | léykʷt | to leave |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | leykʷ- | to leave |