English
leavenous
Leavenous comes from Middle English levayn ‘leaven’, from Latin levis ‘light, not heavy’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁léngʰus.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁léngʰus‘lightweight’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*leɣʷis‘light’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElevis‘light, not heavy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElevō
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*levāmenreconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400levain
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500levayn‘leaven’
- English1500–presentleaven
- Englishearliest quotation 1649leavenous
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁léngʰus‘lightweight’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*leɣʷis‘light’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElevis‘light, not heavy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElevō
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*levāmenreconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400levain
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500levayn‘leaven’
- English1500–presentleaven
- Englishearliest quotation 1649leavenous
Earliest quotation: 1649, John Milton, London: […] Matthew Simmons: “For our Religion where was there a more ignorant,…”
A compound of leaven + -ous
Proto-Indo-European *h₁léngʰus ‘lightweight’
…
Latin levō ‘raise’
Vulgar Latin *levāmen
Old French levain
Middle English levayn
English leaven
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ- ‘lightweight’
light, lung, obliterate, 12 more
through Latin levis ‘light, not heavy’
alleviate, oblivion, levant, oblivious, allege, leger, levity, levee, levitation, levitate, 25 more
through Latin levō
relief, relevant, elevator, elevation, relieve, lever, elevate, 20 more
through English leaven
Today it means
adj Containing leaven; leavened.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁léngʰus / leavenous