lees

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*legʰ-“to lie (down)”
2. Proto-Celtic · derived from*legyā“layer”
3. Gaulish · derived from*ligyā
4. Medieval Latin · derived fromlias“lees, dregs”
5. Old French · derived fromlies
6. English todaylees

From Old French lies, from Medieval Latin lias (“lees, dregs”) (descent via winemaking common in monasteries), from Gaulish *ligyā, *legyā (“silt, sediment”) (compare Welsh llai, Old Breton leh (“deposit, silt”)), from Proto-Celtic *legyā (“layer”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie (down)”). Doublet of lias; also related to Loire and Leicester.

Words from the same roots