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ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY
leanabh, a child, Ir. leanbh, E. Ir. leanab: *lenvo-; from lean? Corm. gives also lelap, which, as to termination, agrees with G. leanaban. Cf. αλοφυρμοαι.
leann, ale, see lionn.
leannan, a sweetheart, Ir. leannán, a concubine, E. Ir. lennan, lendan, concubine, favourite: lex-no-, root leg, lie, as in laigh? From lionn; cf. òlach?
lear, the sea (poetical word), Ir. lear, E. Ir. ler, W. llyr: *liro-, root li, flow, as in lighe, flood. Stokes gives the Celtic as lero-s, but offers no further derivation.
learag, larch; from Sc. larick, Eng. larch, from Lat. larix (*darix), as in darach, q.v.).
learg, leirg, plain, hillside, Ir. learg, E. Ir. lerg, a plain; cf. Lat. largus, Eng. large.
learg, diver bird (Carm.):
leas, advantage, Ir. leas, O. Ir. less, W. lles, Cor. les, Br. laz: *lesso-, root pled, fruit; Slav. plodŭ, fruit (Stokes, Bez.).
leas-, nick-, step-, Ir. leas-, O. Ir. less-, W. llys- (W. llysenw = G. leas-ainm), Br. les-; same as leas above: "additional". Cf. Fr. use of beau, belle for step-. Stokes suggests *liss-, blame, root leid, Gr. λοιδορέω, revile (Lat. ludere?); others compare leas- to Ger. laster, vice (see lochd); Bez. queries connection with Ag. S. lesve, false, Norse lasinn, half-broken.
leasg, leisg, lazy, Ir. leasg, O. Ir. lesc, W. llesg: *lesko-s; Norse löskr, weak, idle, O. H. G. lescan, become extinguished, Ger. erloschen (Stokes). Brugmann and other give stem as *led-sco-, comparing Got. latz, lazy, Eng. late, to which Norse löskr may be referred (*latkwa-z); root lêd, lad. ἐλιννυω, rest (Zeit.34, 531).
leasraidh, loins, Ir. leasruigh, pl. of leasrach; see leis.
leathad, declivity hillside; cf. Ir. leathad, breadth. See leud.
leathan, broad, so Ir., O. Ir. lethan, W. llydan, O. W. litan, Br. ledan, Gaul. litano-s: *ḷtano-s, Gr. πλατúς, broad; Skr. práthas, breadth; Lat. planta, sole of the foot, sprout: root plet, plat, extend.
leathar, leather, so Ir., E. Ir. lethar, W. lledr, M. Br. lezr, Br. ler: *letro-; Eng. leather, Ger. leder, Norse leðr. To prove that the Teutons borrowed this word from the Celts, it is asserted that the original Celtic is *(p)letro-, root pel of Gr. πελλα, hide, Eng. fell.
leatrom, burden, weight, leatromach pregnant, Ir. leathtrom burden, pregnancy; from leth and trom.
leibhidh, race, generation (McIthich, 1685); from Eng. levy?
leibhidh, amount of stock (Carm.):
leibid, a trifle, dirt, leibideach, trifling, Ir. libideach, dirty, awkward.