*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of leek

From Middle English leek, leeke, lek, leke, leyke, from Old English lēac, lēc (“allium; garlic or leek”), from Proto-West Germanic *lauk, from Proto-Germanic *laukaz (“leek”), from *leukaną, *lūkaną (“to close, shut”), f

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

A vegetable of variety Allium ampeloprasum, having edible leaves and an onion-like bulb but with a milder flavour than the onion. · Any of several species of Allium, broadly resembling the domesticated plant in appearance in the wild.

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

From Middle English leek, leeke, lek, leke, leyke, from Old English lēac, lēc (“allium; garlic or leek”), from Proto-West Germanic *lauk, from Proto-Germanic *laukaz (“leek”), from *leukaną, *lūkaną (“to close, shut”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewg- (“to bend”). Cognates Cognate with Alemannic German Làuich (“leek”), Dutch look (“leek”), Plautdietsch Luak (“leek”), German Lauch (“leek”), Danish løg (“onion”), Faroese leykur (“onion”), Icelandic laukur (“garlic, leek, onion”), Norwegian Bokmål løk (“onion”), Norwegian Nynorsk lauk, løk (“onion”), Swedish lök (“onion”), Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Russian лук (luk, “onion”), Polabian lauk (“garlic”), Serbo-Croatian лу̏к, lȕk (“onion; garlic”), Estonian lauk (“allium”), Finnish and Ingrian laukka (“onion”), Livonian lōka (“onion”), Livvi laukku (“onion”), Ludian lauk (“leek; onion”); also Gaulish lunget (“to load”), Irish fulaing (“to bear; to support; to sustain; to mountain”), Scottish Gaelic fuiling, fulaing (“to suffer; to stand; to allow; to bear”), Welsh gollwng (“to drop, release; to leak; to dissolve”), Latin luxus (“dislocated”), Ancient Greek λύγος (lúgos, “chaste tree; flexible twig, withe”), Albanian vlug (“peak”), Sanskrit रुग्ण (rugṇa, “bent, broken, checked; diseased, infirm, sick”). See garlic.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionleekenm
  • Inherited-form mentionlēacang
  • Inherited-form mention*laukgmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*laukazgem-pro · leek
  • Derivation mention*lewg-ine-pro · to bend
  • Cognate mentionLàuichgsw · leek
  • Cognate mentionlooknl · leek
  • Cognate mentionLuakpdt · leek
  • Cognate mentionLauchde · leek
  • Cognate mentionløgda · onion
  • Cognate mentionleykurfo · onion
  • Cognate mentionlaukuris · garlic, leek, onion
  • Cognate mentionløknb · onion
  • Cognate mentionlauknn
  • Cognate mentionlöksv · onion
  • Cognate mentionlaukpox · garlic
  • Cognate mentionлу̏кsh
  • Cognate mentionlauket · allium
  • Cognate mentionlōkaliv · onion
  • Cognate mentionlaukkuolo · onion
  • Cognate mentionlauklud · leek; onion
  • Cognate mentionlungetcel-gau · to load
  • Cognate mentionfulaingga · to bear; to support; to sustain; to mountain
  • Cognate mentionfuilinggd
  • Cognate mentiongollwngcy · to drop, release; to leak; to dissolve
  • Cognate mentionluxusla · dislocated
  • Cognate mentionλύγοςgrc · chaste tree; flexible twig, withe
  • Cognate mentionvlugsq · peak
  • Cognate mentionरुग्णsa · bent, broken, checked; diseased, infirm, sick
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "leek"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English leek"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "lēac"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English lēac"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*lauk"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *lauk"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*laukaz",
        "t": "leek"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *laukaz (“leek”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*lewg-",
        "t": "to bend"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *lewg- (“to bend”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "col-top",
      "args": {
        "1": "2",
        "2": "cog"
      },
      "expansion": "Cognates"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gsw",
        "2": "Làuich",
        "t": "leek"
      },
      "expansion": "Alemannic German Làuich (“leek”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "look",
        "t": "leek"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch look (“leek”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "pdt",
        "2": "Luak",
        "t": "leek"
      },
      "expansion": "Plautdietsch Luak (“leek”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Lauch",
        "t": "leek"
      },
      "expansion": "German Lauch (“leek”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "løg",
        "t": "onion"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish løg (“onion”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fo",
        "2": "leykur",
        "t": "onion"
      },
      "expansion": "Faroese leykur (“onion”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "laukur",
        "t": "garlic, leek, onion"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic laukur (“garlic, leek, onion”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nb",
        "2": "løk",
        "t": "onion"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Bokmål løk (“onion”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nn",
        "2": "lauk"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Nynorsk lauk"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "lök",
        "t": "onion"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish lök (“onion”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "bg,mk,ru",
        "2": "лук",
        "t": "onion"
      },
      "expansion": "Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Russian лук (luk, “onion”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "pox",
        "2": "lauk",
        "t": "garlic"
      },
      "expansion": "Polabian lauk (“garlic”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sh",
        "2": "лу̏к"
      },
      "expansion": "Serbo-Croatian лу̏к"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "et",
        "2": "lauk",
        "t": "allium"
      },
      "expansion": "Estonian lauk (“allium”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fi,izh",
        "2": "laukka",
        "t": "onion"
      },
      "expansion": "Finnish and Ingrian laukka (“onion”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "liv",
        "2": "lōka",
        "t": "onion"
      },
      "expansion": "Livonian lōka (“onion”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "olo",
        "2": "laukku",
        "t": "onion"
      },
      "expansion": "Livvi laukku (“onion”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "lud",
        "2": "lauk",
        "t": "leek; onion"
      },
      "expansion": "Ludian lauk (“leek; onion”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "cel-gau",
        "2": "lunget",
        "t": "to load"
      },
      "expansion": "Gaulish lunget (“to load”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ga",
        "2": "fulaing",
        "t": "to bear; to support; to sustain; to mountain"
      },
      "expansion": "Irish fulaing (“to bear; to support; to sustain; to mountain”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gd",
        "2": "fuiling"
      },
      "expansion": "Scottish Gaelic fuiling"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "gollwng",
        "t": "to drop, release; to leak; to dissolve"
      },
      "expansion": "Welsh gollwng (“to drop, release; to leak; to dissolve”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "luxus",
        "t": "dislocated"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin luxus (“dislocated”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "λύγος",
        "t": "chaste tree; flexible twig, withe"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek λύγος (lúgos, “chaste tree; flexible twig, withe”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sq",
        "2": "vlug",
        "t": "peak"
      },
      "expansion": "Albanian vlug (“peak”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sa",
        "2": "रुग्ण",
        "t": "bent, broken, checked; diseased, infirm, sick"
      },
      "expansion": "Sanskrit रुग्ण (rugṇa, “bent, broken, checked; diseased, infirm, sick”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "leek",
      "leek#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "leeke",
      "leeke#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "lek",
      "lek#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "leke",
      "leke#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "leyke",
      "leyke#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "lēac",
      "leac#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "lēc",
      "lec#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*lauk",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/lauk"
    ],
    [
      "*laukaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/laukaz"
    ],
    [
      "*leukaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/leukaną"
    ],
    [
      "*lūkaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/lūkaną"
    ],
    [
      "*lewg-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/lewg-"
    ],
    [
      "Làuich",
      "Làuich#Alemannic_German"
    ],
    [
      "look",
      "look#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Luak",
      "Luak#Plautdietsch"
    ],
    [
      "Lauch",
      "Lauch#German"
    ],
    [
      "løg",
      "løg#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "leykur",
      "leykur#Faroese"
    ],
    [
      "laukur",
      "laukur#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "løk",
      "løk#Norwegian_Bokmål"
    ],
    [
      "lauk",
      "lauk#Norwegian_Nynorsk"
    ],
    [
      "løk",
      "løk#Norwegian_Nynorsk"
    ],
    [
      "lök",
      "lök#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "Bulgarian",
      "лук#Bulgarian"
    ],
    [
      "Macedonian",
      "лук#Macedonian"
    ],
    [
      "лук",
      "лук#Russian"
    ],
    [
      "lauk",
      "lauk#Polabian"
    ],
    [
      "лу̏к",
      "лук#Serbo-Croatian"
    ],
    [
      "lȕk",
      "luk#Serbo-Croatian"
    ],
    [
      "lauk",
      "lauk#Estonian"
    ],
    [
      "Finnish",
      "laukka#Finnish"
    ],
    [
      "laukka",
      "laukka#Ingrian"
    ],
    [
      "lōka",
      "lōka#Livonian"
    ],
    [
      "laukku",
      "laukku#Livvi"
    ],
    [
      "lauk",
      "lauk#Ludian"
    ],
    [
      "lunget",
      "lunget#Gaulish"
    ],
    [
      "fulaing",
      "fulaing#Irish"
    ],
    [
      "fuiling",
      "fuiling#Scottish_Gaelic"
    ],
    [
      "fulaing",
      "fulaing#Scottish_Gaelic"
    ],
    [
      "gollwng",
      "gollwng#Welsh"
    ],
    [
      "luxus",
      "luxus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "λύγος",
      "λύγος#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "vlug",
      "vlug#Albanian"
    ],
    [
      "रुग्ण",
      "रुग्ण#Sanskrit"
    ],
    [
      "garlic",
      "garlic#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Māori",
      "lang_code": "mi",
      "word": "riki",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A vegetable of variety Allium ampeloprasum, having edible leaves and an onion-like bulb but with a milder flavour than the onion.",
        "Any of several species of Allium, broadly resembling the domesticated plant in appearance in the wild."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "13efe650cc7e456d704b768c434f764237392d28bc73979c98a02e2e5706831d",
      "rawRecordSha256": "587e466c304e5198ce2c8afca9b136b4d4a10c42309f5ee86b012ab4eaeed52a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 186339
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "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 leek →

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-bGVlaw