Hearth Interactive

Words · German

German: L

lang

long Drafted; not yet checked.

Relatives of English long

Hardly any change: the l and the ng stayed put in every branch, and only the vowel moved.

Drafted; not yet checked. Play Family Reunion

laut

loud Drafted; not yet checked.

Relatives of English loud

An old k became h in Old English (hlūd, now loud), and German laut lost it too. Greek kept the k (klytos) and Sanskrit turned it into ś (śruta). The root means 'to hear'.

Drafted; not yet checked. Play Family Reunion

lecken

lick Drafted; not yet checked.

Relatives of English lick

Latin g and Greek ch are the regular outcomes of the old sound (lingere, leichō). English and German show a doubled k instead (Old English liccian, German lecken).

Drafted; not yet checked. Play Family Reunion

Licht

light Drafted; not yet checked.

Relatives of English light

The old k sound turned into the rough gh heard in German Licht and once in English light. Latin lūx and Greek leukos ('bright, white') kept the k.

Drafted; not yet checked. Play Family Reunion

Liebe

love Drafted; not yet checked.

Relatives of English love

The l and b held in every branch. Sanskrit lobha means 'desire, longing'.

Drafted; not yet checked. Play Family Reunion