*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of leech

From Middle English leche (“blood-sucking worm”), from Old English lǣċe (“blood-sucking worm”), akin to Middle Dutch lāke ("blood-sucking worm"; > modern Dutch laak).

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 4 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 ↗
verb

To apply a leech medicinally, so that it sucks blood from the patient. · To drain (resources) without giving back.

noun

A typically aquatic blood-sucking annelid of the subclass Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis. · A person who derives advantage from others in a parasitic fashion. · A glass tube designed for drawing blood from damaged tissue by means of a vacuum.

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

From Middle English leche (“blood-sucking worm”), from Old English lǣċe (“blood-sucking worm”), akin to Middle Dutch lāke ("blood-sucking worm"; > modern Dutch laak).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionlecheenm
  • Inherited-form mentionlǣċeang
  • Cognate mentionlakedum
  • Cognate mentionlaaknl
Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "3": "leche",
        "4": "",
        "5": "blood-sucking worm"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English leche (“blood-sucking worm”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "lǣċe",
        "4": "",
        "5": "blood-sucking worm"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English lǣċe (“blood-sucking worm”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "dum",
        "2": "lake",
        "3": "lāke"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Dutch lāke"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "laak"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch laak"
    },
    {
      "name": "gloss",
      "args": {
        "1": "\"blood-sucking worm\"; > modern Dutch <i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"nl\">laak</i>"
      },
      "expansion": "(\"blood-sucking worm\"; > modern Dutch laak)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "leche",
      "leche#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "lǣċe",
      "læce#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "lāke",
      "lake#Middle_Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Dutch",
      "w:Dutch language"
    ],
    [
      "laak",
      "laak#Dutch"
    ]
  ],
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        "To apply a leech medicinally, so that it sucks blood from the patient.",
        "To drain (resources) without giving back."
      ],
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        "literally",
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        "figuratively"
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        "A glass tube designed for drawing blood from damaged tissue by means of a vacuum."
      ],
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        "dated"
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A physician. · A healer.

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

From Middle English leche (“physician”), from Old English lǣċe (“doctor, physician”), from Proto-West Germanic *lākī, from Proto-Germanic *lēkijaz (“doctor”), of disputed origin, but usually thought to be connected with Proto-Celtic (compare Old Irish líaig (“doctor, physician”)); perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to collect, gather”). Cognate with Old Frisian lētza (“physician”), Old Saxon lāki (“physician”), Old High German lāhhi (“doctor, healer”), Danish læge (“doctor, surgeon”), Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃 (lēkeis, “physician”). Slavic words such as Serbo-Croatian ljèkār, Polish lekarz (“physician, doctor”) are usually considered to be borrowings from Germanic.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "4": "",
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    },
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    },
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    },
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
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        "1": "cel-pro",
        "2": "-"
      },
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
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        "1": "sga",
        "2": "líaig",
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      },
      "expansion": "Old Irish líaig (“doctor, physician”)"
    },
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      "name": "der",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*leǵ-",
        "t": "to collect, gather"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ofs",
        "2": "lētza",
        "3": "",
        "4": "physician"
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      "expansion": "Old Frisian lētza (“physician”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "osx",
        "2": "lāki",
        "3": "",
        "4": "physician"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Saxon lāki (“physician”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "lāhhi",
        "3": "",
        "4": "doctor, healer"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German lāhhi (“doctor, healer”)"
    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "læge",
        "3": "",
        "4": "doctor, surgeon"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish læge (“doctor, surgeon”)"
    },
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      "name": "cog",
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        "3": "",
        "4": "physician"
      },
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sh",
        "2": "ljèkār"
      },
      "expansion": "Serbo-Croatian ljèkār"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "pl",
        "2": "lekarz",
        "t": "physician, doctor"
      },
      "expansion": "Polish lekarz (“physician, doctor”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "leche",
      "leche#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "lǣċe",
      "læce#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*lākī",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/lākī"
    ],
    [
      "*lēkijaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/lēkijaz"
    ],
    [
      "líaig",
      "líaig#Old_Irish"
    ],
    [
      "*leǵ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/leǵ-"
    ],
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      "lētza",
      "letza#Old_Frisian"
    ],
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      "lāki",
      "laki#Old_Saxon"
    ],
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      "lāhhi",
      "lahhi#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "læge",
      "læge#Danish"
    ],
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      "𐌻𐌴𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃",
      "𐌻𐌴𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃#Gothic"
    ],
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      "ljèkār",
      "ljekar#Serbo-Croatian"
    ],
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      "lekarz",
      "lekarz#Polish"
    ]
  ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
verb

To treat, cure or heal.

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

From Middle English lechen (“to cure, heal, treat”), from Middle English leche (“doctor, physician”). Compare Swedish läka (“to heal”) and Norwegian Nynorsk lækja (“to heal”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "4": "",
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    },
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      "name": "der",
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        "1": "en",
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        "3": "leche",
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    },
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        "1": "sv",
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    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "nn",
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      "läka#Swedish"
    ],
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      "lækja#Norwegian_Nynorsk"
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

The vertical edge of a square sail. · The aft edge of a triangular sail.

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

From Middle English lek, leche, lyche, from Old Norse lík (“leechline”), from Proto-West Germanic *līk, from Proto-Germanic *līką (compare West Frisian lyk (“band”), Dutch lijk (“boltrope”), Middle High German geleich (“joint, limb”)), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- ‘to bind’ (compare Latin ligō (“tie, bind”), Ukrainian нали́гати (nalýhaty, “to bridle, fetter”), Albanian lidh (“to bind”), Hittite link- (caus. linganu-) ‘to swear’ (with -n- infix).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "3": "lek"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
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        "4": "",
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    },
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    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
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        "1": "nl",
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      "name": "cog",
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
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        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*leyǵ-"
      },
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    },
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        "3": "",
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      },
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    }
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    ],
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      "leche",
      "leche#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "lyche",
      "lyche#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "lík",
      "lík#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "*līk",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/līk"
    ],
    [
      "*līką",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/līką"
    ],
    [
      "lyk",
      "lyk#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "lijk",
      "lijk#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "geleich",
      "geleich#Middle_High_German"
    ],
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      "*leyǵ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/leyǵ-"
    ],
    [
      "ligō",
      "ligo#Latin"
    ],
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    ],
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      "lidh",
      "lidh#Albanian"
    ]
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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 leech →

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-bGVlY2g