Where does “ess-” come from?

ess- (Old Irish) comes from Old Irish léicid, from Proto-Celtic linkʷīti, from Proto-Indo-European linékʷti, from Proto-Indo-European leykʷ- — to leave.

ess- (Old Irish): ex-, out; privative prefix: non-, -less

Definitions

  1. ex-, out; privative prefix: non-, -less

Ancestry of “ess-”, step by step

ess- traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Irish léicid

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Irishléicidto leave, abandon, release, let go; to let,...
2Proto-Celticlinkʷītito leave, to leave behind
3Proto-Indo-Europeanlinékʷtito be leaving
4Proto-Indo-Europeanleykʷ-to leave

via Proto-Celtic guseti

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Celticgusetito choose
2Proto-Indo-Europeanǵéwsetito taste, try, choose
3Proto-Indo-Europeanǵews-to taste, try

via Proto-Celtic exs-

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Celticexs-out
2Proto-Indo-Europeaneǵʰsout; from, out of

Words derived from “ess-”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European leykʷ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European linékʷti →Every word from Proto-Celtic linkʷīti →