Where does “leven” come from?
leven (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon libbian, from Proto-West Germanic libbjan, from Proto-Germanic libjaną, from Proto-Indo-European leyp-, from Proto-Indo-European lēy- — to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave...
leven (Middle Low German): to live
Ancestry of “leven”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Saxon | libbian | to live |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | libbjan | to live, to be alive |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | libjaną | to live, to be alive |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | leyp- | to stick; fat or sticky substance |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |
Words derived from “leven”