英语词源词典L6

Leon
medieval kingdom in northwestern Spain, said to be from L. legionis
(septimae) “of the Seventh Legion,” which was founded in Spain in 65 B.C.E.;
the name probably then conformed to Sp. leon “lion.” Related: Leonese.
Leonard
masc. proper name, from Fr. Léonard, O.Fr. Leonard, from Ger. Leonhard,
from O.H.G. *Lewenhart, lit. “strong as a lion,” from lewo (from L. Leo, see
lion) + hart “hard” (see hard (adj.)).
leonine (adj.)
“lion-like,” late 14c., from O.Fr. leonin or directly from L. leoninus “belonging
to or resembling a lion,” from leo (gen. leonis) “lion.” Weekley thinks that
Leonine verse (1650s), rhymed in the middle as well as the end of the line,
probably is from the name of some medieval poet, perhaps Leo, Canon of St.
Victor, Paris, 12c.
leopard (n.)
late 13c., from O.Fr. lebard, leupart (12c., Mod.Fr. léopard), from L.L.
leopardus, lit. “lion-pard,” from Gk. leopardos, from leon “lion” + pardos
“male panther,” which generally is said to be connected to Skt. prdakuh
“panther, tiger.” The animal was thought in ancient times to be a hybrid of
these two species.
Leopold
masc. proper name, from Fr. Léopold, from O.H.G. Leutpald, Liutbald, lit.
“bold among the people,” from leudi “people” + bald “bold.”
leotard (n.)
1881, leotards, named for Jules Léotard (1830-1870), popular French trapeze
artist, who performed in such a garment.
leper (n.)
“one afflicted with leprosy,” late 14c., from L.L. lepra, from Gk. lepra
“leprosy,” from fem. of lepros (adj.) “scaly,” from leops “a scale,” related to
lepein “to peel,” from lopos “a peel,” from PIE root *lep- “to peel, scale” (see
leaf). Originally the word for the disease itself (mid-13c.); because of the -er
ending it came to mean “person with leprosy,” so leprosy was coined 16c. from
adjective leprous.
Lepidoptera (n.)
1773, “insects with four scaly wings,” the biological classification that includes
butterflies and moths, coined 1735 in Modern Latin by Swedish botanist
Carolus Linnaeus (Karl von Linné, 1707-1778) from Gk. lepido-, comb. form of
lepis (gen. lepidos) “(fish) scale” (related to lepein “to peel;” see leper) +
pteron “wing, feather” (see pterodactyl).
lepidopterist (n.)
1826, from Lepidoptera + -ist.
leprechaun (n.)
c.1600, from Ir. lupracan, metathesis from O.Ir. luchorpan lit. “a very small
body,” from lu “little” (from PIE *legwh- “having little weight;” see light