Feminine

From Middle High German linse, from Old High German linsa, likely a borrowing from an unidentified source. Compare Latin lēns, Lithuanian lęšis, and Old Church Slavonic лѧща (lęšta) sounding too similar for a coincidence, however different enough to prohibit reconstruction of a common PIE protoform. If ultimately a non-IE loanword, locating the source is virtually impossible because cultivation of lentil was widespread in the region since the Neolithic. The sense ‘lens’ is a semantic loan from Latin lēns (“lentil; lens”).

Bookmark this

Improve your pronunciation