lea

Meaning

Noun

• An open field, meadow.
• Any of several measures of yarn; for linen, 300 yards; for cotton, 120 yards.
• A set of warp threads carried by a loop of the heddle.

Origin

• From Middle English legh, lege, lei, from Old English lēah from Proto-West Germanic *lauh, from Proto-Germanic *lauhaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lówkos.
• Akin to Old Frisian lāch ("meadow"), Old Saxon lōh ("forest, grove") (Middle Dutch loo ("forest, thicket"); Dutch -lo ("in placenames")), Old High German lōh ("covered clearing, low bushes"), Old Norse lo ("clearing, meadow").
• From Middle English le, lee, ley, of uncertain origin. Compare Old French lier, Old French laisse, Old French lïace, lïaz.