Etymograph

English

lead

Lead comes from Old English lǣdan ‘to lead’, from Proto-Germanic *laidijaną ‘to cause to go’, causative of *līþaną ‘to go’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyt-‘to leave, die’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*līþaną‘to go’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laidijaną‘to cause one to go, lead’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laidijanreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150lǣdan‘to lead’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500leden
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1625lead

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyt-‘to leave, die’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*līþaną‘to go’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laidijaną‘to cause one to go, lead’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laidijanreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150lǣdan‘to lead’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500leden
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1625lead

Earliest quotation: 1625, Francis Bacon, Of Building: “I would have the tower two stories, and goodly…”

The story

From Middle English led, leed, from Old English lēad (‘lead’), from Proto-West Germanic *laud (‘lead’), possibly borrowed from Proto-Celtic *ɸloudom, from Proto-Indo-European *plewd- (‘to flow’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *plewd- ‘to flow’

fleet, float, flutter, flit, 2 more

through Proto-Celtic *ɸloudom ‘lead (metal)’

plunge, plumber, plumb, plummet, aplomb, 12 more

through Proto-West Germanic *laud

loth, 1 more

Another origin of lead

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyt-‘to leave, die’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*līþaną‘to go’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laidijaną‘to cause one to go, lead’reconstructedcausative of *līþaną
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laidijan‘to cause to go, lead’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150lǣdan‘to lead’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500leden‘to lead’
  7. Englishtodaylead

Today it means

noun A heavy, pliable, inelastic metal element, having a bright, bluish color, but easily tarnished; both malleable and ductile, though with little tenacity. It is easily fusible, forms alloys with other metals, and is an ingredient of solder and type metal. Atomic number 82.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leyt- / lead

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