leery etymology

Etymology:

• Middle English: leery, from Old English: lærig, meaning "empty" or "hollow"
• Related to the Old English word "læran," meaning "to learn"

Meaning and Origin:

In the 16th century, the word "leery" took on the meanings of "wary," "suspicious," or "cautious." This shift in meaning likely occurred because an empty or hollow object is often seen as fragile or vulnerable, leading to the association with cautiousness.

Some potential reasons for this shift in meaning include:

• An empty vessel is easily broken or damaged, so it needs to be handled with care.
• An empty person is often considered naive or gullible, so they need to be protected from those who might take advantage of them.
• An empty space is often seen as a place of potential danger, so it's wise to be cautious when entering it.

Today, "leery" is primarily used to describe a state of suspicion or wariness. It can also be used to describe something that is difficult or challenging, especially in the context of learning.

Examples of Usage:

• I'm leery of that new guy at work. He seems a little too slick.
• The hike up the mountain was leery, but the view from the top was worth it.
• I'm not leery about learning new things, but I do like to have a plan in place before I dive in.

leery relate terms

• cheek

  Etymology Middle English cheke from Old English ceac Proto West Germanic kekijo Pro

• lore

  Etymology The word lore is derived from the Old English word lār which means lear

• learn

  Etymology Etymology is the study of the origin of words and the historical changes in the

• crispy

  Etymology The word crispy is derived from the Middle English word crispe which in tu

• stilly

  Etymology The word stilly is derived from the Middle English word stille which in t

• dusky

  Etymology Middle English duski from Old Norse duskr meaning dark twilight Mean

• suspicious

  Etymology Suspicious is derived from the Late Latin word suspiciosus meaning dist

• communicate

  Etymology The word communicate comes from the Latin word communicare which means to

• Catholic

  Etymology The word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective katholikos meaning

• exploit

  Etymology The word exploit comes from the Old French word exploitier which in turn d

• pomp

  Etymology Latin pompa meaning procession parade Meaning A grand elaborate o

• boast

  Etymology Old English boastan to brag threaten Proto West Germanic bōstijaną

• language

  Etymology The term etymology derives from the Greek word etymon meaning true sense

• emblem

  Etymology The word emblem is derived from the Greek word emblema meaning something

• deadline

  Etymology deadline n early 1900s originally in journalism from dead adj line n

• like

  Etymology is the study of the origin of words and how their meaning has changed over time