Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “lever” come from?

lever (Old French) comes from Latin levō, from Latin lēvis, from Proto-Italic leɣʷis, from Proto-Indo-European h₁léngʰus, from Proto-Indo-European h₁lengʷʰ- — light.

lever (Old French): to lift; to get up

Definitions

  1. to lift; to get up

Ancestry of “lever”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinlevō—
2Latinlēvis—
3Proto-Italicleɣʷis—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁léngʰuslightweight
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁lengʷʰ-light

Words derived from “lever”

  • levy
  • Levant
  • levee
  • Levantine
  • levant
  • leviable
  • levier
  • enlevement
  • leveed
  • illeviable
  • levers
  • élève
  • levage
  • élévateur
  • enlever
  • élever
  • levant
  • levée
  • lever
  • levante
  • soulèvement
  • surélever
  • levé
  • levier
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁lengʷʰ- →