leave

leave · verb, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*leyp-“to stick; fat”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*laibijaną“to let stay, leave”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*laibijan
4. Old English · inherited fromlǣfan“to leave”
5. Middle English · inherited fromleven
6. English todayleave

From Middle English leven, from Old English lǣfan (“to leave”), from Proto-West Germanic *laibijan, from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną (“to let stay, leave”), causative of *lībaną (“to stay, remain”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to stick; fat”). Cognate with Old Frisian lēva (“to leave”), dialectal Dutch loven (“to have left over, save, keep”), Old Saxon lēvian, Old High German leiban (“to leave”), Old Norse leifa (“to leave over”) (whence Icelandic leifa (“to leave food uneaten”), Swedish leva (“to leave”)), lifna (“to be left”) (whence Danish levne). More at lave, belive. The noun is attested since the 19th century, with earliest references to billiards.

leave · noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*lewbʰ-“to love, hold dear”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*laubō
3. Old English · inherited fromlēaf“permission, privilege”
4. Middle English · inherited fromleve
5. English todayleave

From Middle English leve, from Old English lēaf (“permission, privilege”), from Proto-Germanic *laubō, *laubą (“permission, privilege, favour, worth”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to love, hold dear”). Cognate with obsolete German Laube (“permission”), Swedish lov (“permission”), Icelandic leyfi (“permission”). Related to Dutch verlof, German Urlaub, Erlaubnis, Verlaub. See also love.

leave · verb³

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*lewbʰ-“to love, hold dear”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*laubijaną“to allow, praise”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*laubijan
4. Old English · inherited fromlīefan“to allow, grant, concede; believe, trust, confide in”
5. Middle English · inherited fromleven
6. English todayleave

From Middle English leven, from Old English līefan (“to allow, grant, concede; believe, trust, confide in”), from Proto-West Germanic *laubijan, from Proto-Germanic *laubijaną (“to allow, praise”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to love, hold dear”). Cognate with German erlauben (“to allow”), German glauben (“to believe”), Icelandic leyfa (“to allow”).

leave · verb⁴

1. Middle English · inherited fromleven
2. English todayleave

From Middle English leven, from lef (“leaf”). More at leaf.

leave · verb⁵

1. French · derived fromlever
2. English todayleave

From French lever. Compare levy. Compare also Middle English leve, a variant of levy that may have been monosyllabic.

Words from the same roots