English
leam
Leam comes from Old English līeman ‘to emit rays, beam, shine’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘light, bright’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-‘light, bright’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*liuhmijan‘to gleam, shine’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150līeman‘to emit rays, beam, shine’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lemen
- Englishtodayleam
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-‘light, bright’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*liuhmijan‘to gleam, shine’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150līeman‘to emit rays, beam, shine’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lemen
- Englishtodayleam
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘light, bright’
light, low, link, los, lucy, ounce, lunar, luna, illumination, lux, illuminate, lucid, luminous, translucent, lumen, lynx, luce, luminosity, lumia, lea, lum, lune, loach, luminescent, luminary, luminal, leucine, 74 more
Another origin of leam
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leuk-‘light, bright’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*leuhmô‘light, shine’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*leuhmōreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150lēoma‘ray of light, beam, radiance, gleam, glare, lightning’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500leme‘Fire or an instance of it’
- Englishtodayleam
Today it means
verb To gleam; shine; glow.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *lewk- / leam