Where does “leikr” come from?
leikr (Old Norse) comes from Middle Low German lek, from Latin lāicus, from Ancient Greek λαϊκός, from Ancient Greek λᾱός, from Proto-Hellenic lāwós, from Proto-Indo-European leh₂wos, from Proto-Indo-European leh₂- — to bark, howl; to be concealed.
leikr (Old Norse): game; sport; contest
Definitions
- game; sport; contest
Ancestry of “leikr”, step by step
leikr traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle Low German lek
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | lek | — |
| 2 | Latin | lāicus | lay (of the laity) |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | λαϊκός | of the people; popular |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | λᾱός | people; men; the people |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | lāwós | people, crowd |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂wos | people |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂- | to bark, howl; to be concealed |
via Proto-Germanic laikaz
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | laikaz | dance; game, sport; hymn |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | leyǵ- | to bind, tie |
via Proto-Norse *ᛚᚨᛁᚲᚨᛉ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Norse | *ᛚᚨᛁᚲᚨᛉ | play, sport |