legh-

To lie, lay.

Derivatives include ledge, lair, beleaguer, lees, law, and fellow.

1. Suffixed form *legh-yo-.

a. lie¹, from Old English licgan, to lie, from Germanic *ligjan;

b.

(i) lay¹, ledge, ledger, from Old English lecgan, to lay;

(ii) belay, from Old English belecgan, to cover, surround (be-, over; see ambhi). Both (i) and (ii) from Germanic *lagjan.

2. Suffixed form *legh-ro-.

a. lair, from Old English leger, lair;

b. leaguer¹; beleaguer, from Middle Dutch leger, lair, camp;

c. laager, lager; stalag, from Old High German legar, bed, lair. a-c all from Germanic *legraz.

3. lees, from Medieval Latin lia, sediment, from Celtic *leg-yā-.

4. Lengthened-grade form *lēgh-. low¹, from Old Norse lāgr, low, from Germanic *lēgaz, “lying flat,” low.

5. Suffixed form *legh-to-. coverlet, litter; wagon-lit, from Latin lectus, bed.

6. Suffixed o-grade form *logh-o-.

a. law; bylaw, Danelaw, from Old Norse *lagu, lag-, law, “that which is set down”

b. fellow, from Old Norse lag, a laying down;

c. outlaw, from Old Norse lög, law;

d. anlage, vorlage, from Old High German lāga, act of laying. a-d all from Germanic *lagam.

7. lagan, from Old Norse lögn, dragnet (< “that which is laid down”), from Germanic *lag-īnō-.

8. Suffixed o-grade form *logh-o-. lochia, from Greek lokhos, childbirth, place for lying in wait.

 

[Pokorny legh- 658, 2. lēg̑h- 660.]

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