English word origin

Etymology of le

Borrowed from French le (“the”). Popularized especially by the expression le sigh.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

article

the

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from French le (“the”). Popularized especially by the expression le sigh.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionlefr · the

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymid",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "the"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "le",
        "t": "the"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from French le (“the”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "le",
      "le#French"
    ],
    [
      "le sigh",
      "le sigh#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "article",
      "glosses": [
        "the"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "humorous",
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "6b578feff82a46dc5965f80d8054f21fb5ba049e298d15fbf8e274f261712018",
      "rawRecordSha256": "43e3c7d09a21a2fe2374f85898cd70957f93846fbfaaf42145291fdadd7c51a4",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 199842
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

prep

Next to, near (still used in some place names).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

borrowed from Old French lez (“side”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mentionlezfro · side

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymid",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "near"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "lg",
      "args": {
        "1": "loanword",
        "2": "borrowed"
      },
      "expansion": "borrowed"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "lez",
        "t": "side"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French lez (“side”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "lez",
      "lez#Old_French"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "prep",
      "glosses": [
        "Next to, near (still used in some place names)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "4d60946ef8eea25c7594318cfd988cf2e51d6e98ecc27bb937ed2619e6db269c",
      "rawRecordSha256": "623f0a1ca8632e81f2f63d7cdbe6d6c3b9f7fcea96e2dbdd045eeff534a09125",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 199843
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for le →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bGU