Etymograph

English

ledge

Ledge comes from Old English leċġ ‘bar, crossbeam’, from Proto-Germanic *lagjō ‘layer, stratum’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie, recline’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*legʰ-‘to lie, recline’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lagjō‘layer, stratum’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laggju‘layer, strip, ledge, rung, bar’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150leċġ‘bar, crossbeam’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500legge
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1993ledge

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*legʰ-‘to lie, recline’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lagjō‘layer, stratum’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laggju‘layer, strip, ledge, rung, bar’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150leċġ‘bar, crossbeam’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500legge
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1993ledge

Earliest quotation: 1993, Proceedings: “[...] preparation must not remove excess dentine from the…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie, recline’

law, low, lie, college, legal, fellow, lawyer, lay, layer, log, loyal, legacy, colleague, delegation, litter, delegate, lair, collegiate, lex, lawless, lees, lig, underlay, legate, leaguer, lagan, lias, collegium, leal, 23 more

Today it means

noun A narrow surface projecting horizontally from a wall, cliff, or other surface.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- / ledge

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