lease

Where does the word "lease" come from? It comes from Latin laxare, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

Lease’s story begins in Latin: laxare meant “to loosen.” From 'laxus', loose, the root of 'lax' and 'relax'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as lesser. The root of 'lax', 'relax' and 'release'. It reached English by 1400s as lease. 'a new lease of life' dates from the 1800s. Today, lease means a contract to rent property.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient laxare "to loosen", from 'laxus', loose, the root of 'lax' and 'relax'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval lesser "to let go", the root of 'lax', 'relax' and 'release'.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s lease "a rental contract", 'a new lease of life' dates from the 1800s.