English
forelead
Forelead comes from Old English fōrelǣdan ‘to lead forth’, from Proto-Germanic *līþaną ‘to go, depart, travel’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leyt-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyt-‘to leave, depart, die’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*līþaną‘to go, depart, travel’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laidijaną‘to cause to go, lead’reconstructedcausative of *līþaną
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laidijan‘to cause to go, lead’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150lǣdan‘to lead’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150fōrelǣdan‘to lead forth’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500forleden
- Englishearliest quotation 1902forelead
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyt-‘to leave, depart, die’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*līþaną‘to go, depart, travel’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laidijaną‘to cause to go, lead’reconstructedcausative of *līþaną
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laidijan‘to cause to go, lead’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150lǣdan‘to lead’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150fōrelǣdan‘to lead forth’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500forleden
- Englishearliest quotation 1902forelead
Earliest quotation: 1902, Thomas Edgar Pemberton: “[...] But you twin sister of the morning…”
Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘before, formerly’
Proto-Germanic *fura- ‘before, in front of, for’
Proto-West Germanic *forē- ‘before, in front of, fore-, pre-’
English fore-
Proto-Indo-European *leyt- ‘to leave, die’
…
Proto-Germanic *laidijaną ‘to cause one to go, lead’
Proto-West Germanic *laidijan
Old English lǣdan ‘to lead’
Middle English leden
English lead
Linked words
through Proto-Germanic *laidijaną ‘to cause to go, lead’
Today it means
verb To lead forth; lead forward; lead before.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leyt- / forelead