leat

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*lētą
2. Old English · inherited fromġelǣte“a going out, ending, meeting”
3. Middle English · inherited fromlete“a meeting or intersection of roads; junction; crossroads; conduit”
4. English todayleat

Probably from Middle English lete (“a meeting or intersection of roads; junction; crossroads; conduit”), from Old English ġelǣte (“a going out, ending, meeting”), as in Old English wæterġelǣt (“watercourse, aquaduct”), from Proto-Germanic *lētą, *galētą (“a letting, a letting out”). Cognate with Old High German gilāz (“outlet, exit, end, road junction”), German Gelaß (“back room, recess, private chamber”). Related to English let.

Words from the same roots