Where does “lichwa” come from?
lichwa (Polish) comes from Proto-Slavic lixva, from Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍈𐌰, from Proto-Germanic līhwaną, from Proto-Indo-European léykʷt, from Proto-Indo-European leykʷ- — to leave.
lichwa (Polish): usury
Ancestry of “lichwa”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Slavic | lixva | — |
| 2 | Gothic | 𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍈𐌰 | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | līhwaną | to lend |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | léykʷt | to leave |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | leykʷ- | to leave |