Where does “лес” come from?

лес (Serbo-Croatian) comes from German Löss, from Alemannic German lösch, from Old High German lōs, from Proto-West Germanic laus, from Proto-Germanic lausaz, from Proto-Indo-European lewH- — louse.

лес (Serbo-Croatian): coffin; lumber; forest, woods

Definitions

  1. coffin; lumber; forest, woods

Ancestry of “лес”, step by step

лес traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Löss

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanLössloess
2Alemannic Germanlöschloose; mild
3Old High Germanlōsloose; free; lacking; sly, deceitful
4Proto-West Germaniclausloose, free
5Proto-Germaniclausazloose, free; empty, devoid; false, untrue
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanlewH-louse

via Proto-Slavic lěsъ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Slaviclěsъforest, woods
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewH-Every word from Proto-Germanic lausazEvery word from Proto-West Germanic laus