Where does “léas” come from?
léas (Middle Irish) comes from Old French laisier, from Old High German lāzan, from Proto-West Germanic lātan, from Proto-Germanic lētaną, from Proto-Indo-European leh₁d- — to be tired.
Ancestry of “léas”, step by step
léas traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French laisier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | laisier | Alternative form of laissier; to let, let go,... |
| 2 | Old High German | lāzan | to let, let go, leave; to let, let go, release |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | lātan | to let, to allow; to leave alone |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lētaną | to let, to allow; to leave alone |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₁d- | to be tired |
via Anglo-Norman lesser
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | lesser | Alternative form of laissier |