English word origin

Etymology of leese

From Middle English lesen, from Old English lēosan, from Proto-West Germanic *leusan, from Proto-Germanic *leusaną (“to lose”), from Proto-Indo-European *lews- (“to cut; sever; separate; loosen; lose”).

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 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 lose. · To destroy. · To forsake or abandon.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentionlesenenm
Inherited-form mentionlēosanang
Inherited-form mention*leusangmw-pro
Inherited-form mention*leusanągem-pro · to lose
Derivation mention*lews-ine-pro · to cut; sever; separate; loosen; lose

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    {
      "name": "etymid",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "to lose"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "lesen",
        "id": "to lose"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English lesen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "lēosan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English lēosan"
    },
    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*leusan"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *leusan"
    },
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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
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        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*leusaną",
        "t": "to lose"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *leusaną (“to lose”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*lews-",
        "t": "to cut; sever; separate; loosen; lose"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *lews- (“to cut; sever; separate; loosen; lose”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "lesen",
      "lesen#Middle_English:_to_lose"
    ],
    [
      "lēosan",
      "leosan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*leusan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/leusan"
    ],
    [
      "*leusaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/leusaną"
    ],
    [
      "*lews-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/lews-"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To lose.",
        "To destroy.",
        "To forsake or abandon."
      ],
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To release; let go; set free. · To loosen, unfasten.

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

From Middle English lesen, from Old English lȳsan, līesan (“to loosen, release, redeem, deliver, liberate”), from Proto-Germanic *lausijaną (“to release, loosen”). Cognate with Dutch lozen, German lösen, Swedish lösa.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Root classification mention*lewh₁-ine-pro
Inherited-form mentionlesenenm
Inherited-form mentionlȳsanang
Inherited-form mention*lausijanągem-pro · to release, loosen
Cognate mentionlozennl
Cognate mentionlösende
Cognate mentionlösasv

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
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      "name": "etymid",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "to release"
      },
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    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "lesen",
        "id": "to gather"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English lesen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "lȳsan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English lȳsan"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*lausijaną",
        "t": "to release, loosen"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *lausijaną (“to release, loosen”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "lozen"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch lozen"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "lösen"
      },
      "expansion": "German lösen"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "lösa"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish lösa"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "lesen",
      "lesen#Middle_English:_to_gather"
    ],
    [
      "lȳsan",
      "lysan#Old_English"
    ],
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      "līesan",
      "liesan#Old_English"
    ],
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/lausijaną"
    ],
    [
      "lozen",
      "lozen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "lösen",
      "lösen#German"
    ],
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      "lösa",
      "lösa#Swedish"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To release; let go; set free.",
        "To loosen, unfasten."
      ],
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        "transitive"
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

verb

To hurt.

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

Compare French léser, Latin laesus.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Cognate mentionléserfr
Cognate mentionlaesusla

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "léser"
      },
      "expansion": "French léser"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "laesus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin laesus"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "léser",
      "léser#French"
    ],
    [
      "laesus",
      "laesus#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
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      "glosses": [
        "To hurt."
      ],
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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 leese →

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-bGVlc2U