Etymology

leer

L1E1E1R1

Today it means: To look sideways or obliquely; now especially with sexual desire or malicious intent. Full definition →

Middle English ler ← Old English hlēor ← Proto-West Germanic *hleuʀ
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leer · verb, noun1

Exact development uncertain, but apparently from a verb *leer (“to make a face, look sideways”), from leer (“cheek, face, profile”) (see below).

leer · noun2

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ḱlew-“to hear”
  2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ḱlews-“temple of the forehead, cheek”
  3. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*hleuzą“ear, cheek”
  4. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*hleuʀ
  5. Old English · inherited fromhlēor“face, cheek, profile”
  6. Middle English · inherited fromler
  7. English todayleer

From Middle English ler, leor (“face, cheek”), from Old English hlēor (“face, cheek, profile”), from Proto-West Germanic *hleuʀ, from Proto-Germanic *hleuzą (“ear, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlews- (“temple of the forehead, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“to hear”). Cognate with Scots lire, lere (“face, appearance, complexion”), Dutch lier (“cheek”), Swedish lyra (“pout”), Norwegian lia (“hillside”), Icelandic hlýr (“the face, cheek, countenance”). Related to Old English hlyst (“sense of hearing, listening”) and hlysnan (“to listen”). More at list, listen.

leer · adjective3

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*les-“to collect, pick”
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*lēziz
  3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*lāʀi
  4. Old English · inherited fromġelǣr
  5. Middle English · inherited fromlere
  6. English todayleer

From Middle English lere, from Old English ġelǣr, *lǣre (“empty, void, empty-handed”), from Proto-West Germanic *lāʀi, *lāʀī, from Proto-Germanic *lēziz, *lēzijaz (“empty”), from Proto-Indo-European *les- (“to collect, pick”). Cognate with Dutch laar (“a clearing in the woods”), German leer (“empty”). Related to Old English lesan (“to gather, collect”). More at lease.

leer · verb4

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*leys-“track, footprint, furrow, trace”
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*laizijaną“to teach”
  3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*laiʀijan
  4. Old English · inherited fromlǣran“to teach, instruct, guide, enjoin, advise, persuade, urge, preach, hand down”
  5. Middle English · inherited fromleren
  6. English todayleer

From Middle English leren, from Old English lǣran (“to teach, instruct, guide, enjoin, advise, persuade, urge, preach, hand down”), from Proto-West Germanic *laiʀijan, from Proto-Germanic *laizijaną (“to teach”), from Proto-Indo-European *leys- (“track, footprint, furrow, trace”). Cognate with Dutch leren (“to teach, to learn”), German lehren (“to teach”), Swedish lära (“to teach”). Related to Old English lār (“lore, learning, science, art of teaching, preaching, doctrine, study, precept, exhortation, advice, instigation, history, story, cunning”). See lore.

leer · noun5

See lehr.

Leer · proper noun6

  1. Old Frisian · derived fromHleri
  2. German · derived fromLeer
  3. English todayLeer

From German Leer, from Old Frisian Hleri.

Leer · proper noun7

  1. Old Norse · derived fromLíðir
  2. Norwegian Bokmål · derived fromLier
  3. English todayLeer

From Norwegian Bokmål Lier, a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway, from Old Norse Líðir, plural of (h)líð (“slope”).

Leer · proper noun8

From Nuer.

Words from the same roots

Proto-Indo-European*ḱlew- all →

listenloudlitheauslautloudeSlavi

Proto-Indo-European*leys- all →

listlesseverlasting

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.