lea

lea · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*lówkos“field, meadow”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*lauhaz“meadow”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*lauh“meadow”
4. Old English · inherited fromlēah“clearing in a forest”
5. Middle English · inherited fromlegh
6. English todaylea

From Middle English legh, lege, lei (“clearing, open ground”), from Old English lēah (“clearing in a forest”) from Proto-West Germanic *lauh (“meadow”), from Proto-Germanic *lauhaz (“meadow”), from Proto-Indo-European *lówkos (“field, meadow”). Akin to Old Frisian lāch (“meadow”), Old Saxon lōh (“forest, grove”) (Middle Dutch loo (“forest, thicket”); Dutch -lo (in placenames), Old High German lōh (“covered clearing, low bushes”), Old Norse ló (“clearing, meadow”).

lea · noun²

1. Middle English · inherited fromle
2. English todaylea

From Middle English le, lee, ley, of uncertain origin. Compare Old French lier (“to bind”), Old French laisse (“leash, cord”), Old French lïace, lïaz (“bundle”).

Lea · proper noun³

1. Old English · inherited fromlēa
2. English todayLea

From Old English lēa, the dative case of lēah (“meadow”).

Lea · proper noun⁴

1. Old English · inherited fromLyġe
2. Old English · inherited fromLyġe
3. English todayLea

Inherited from Old English Lyġe.

Words from the same roots