Where does “lest” come from?
lest (Middle High German) comes from Middle High German lezzest, from Old High German lezzist, from Old High German laz, from Proto-Germanic lataz, from Proto-Indo-European lē(y)d-.
Ancestry of “lest”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | lezzest | — |
| 2 | Old High German | lezzist | — |
| 3 | Old High German | laz | slow; lazy |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lataz | slow, sluggish; lazy; late |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lē(y)d- | — |
Words derived from “lest”