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Origin and history of Levant

Levant

"Mediterranean lands east of Italy," especially the coastal region and islands of Asia Minor, Syria, and Lebanon, late 15c., from French levant "the Orient" (12c.), from present participle of lever "to rise" (from Latin levare "to raise," from PIE root *legwh- "not heavy, having little weight"). So called because the region was (from Western Europe) in the direction of sunrise. Related: Levanter.

also from late 15c.

Entries linking to Levant

Levantine(adj.)

"of or pertaining to the Levant," 1640s, from Levant + -ine (1).

*legwh-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "not heavy, having little weight."

It might form all or part of: alleviate; alleviation; alto-rilievo; carnival; elevate; elevation; elevator; leaven; legerdemain; leprechaun; Levant; levator; levee; lever; levity; levy (v.) "to raise or collect;" light (adj.1) "not heavy, having little weight;" lighter (n.1) "type of barge used in unloading;" lung; relevance; relevant; releve; relief; relieve.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit laghuh "quick, small;" Greek elakhys "small," elaphros "light;" Latin levare "to raise," levis "light in weight, not heavy;" Old Church Slavonic liguku, Russian lëgkij, Polish lekki, Lithuanian lengvas "light in weight;" Old Irish lu "small," laigiu "smaller, worse;" Gothic leihts, Old English leoht "not heavy, light in weight."

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    nose-ring
    This ornament has been worn in the from very ancient times, and is still in use among the primitive peoples of the Levant...In the Levant it is commonly through one of the wings of the nose; but the fashion of passing it through the septum is still...
    plane
    "tree of the genus Platanus," native to Persia and the Levant, late 14c., from Old French plane, earlier plasne (14c.), from...
    lime
    The Key lime is indigenous to India and the Malay archipelago (Arabs introduced it to the Levant, North Africa, Spain, and...
    cedar
    True cedars are those native to Lebanon and the Levant, western North Africa, and the Himalayas, but the name has been applied...
    lemon
    Apparently brought from India to the Levant by the Arabs 9c. or 10c.; the word is perhaps ultimately from an Austronesian...
    Frank
    It was noted by 1680s that, in the Levant, this was the name given to anyone of Western nationality (compare Feringhee and...
    kermes
    The insect lives in the Levant and southern Europe on a species of small evergreen oak (kermes oak) and in ancient Europe...
    morocco
    "kind of fine flexible leather," 1630s, earlier maroquin (16c.), via French; ultimately from Morocco, the country in northwest Africa, where the sumac-tanned goatskin leather first was made. Valued for its firmness of texture, flexibility, and grained surface, it was used to make
    Valentine
    mid-15c., "sweetheart chosen on St. Valentine's Day," from Late Latin Valentinus, the name of two early Italian saints (from Latin valentia "strength, capacity;" see valence). Choosing a sweetheart on this day originated 14c. as a custom in English and French court circles. Meani
    abscond
    "depart suddenly and secretly," especially to escape debt or the law, 1560s, from French abscondre "to hide" and directly from Latin abscondere "to hide, conceal, put out of sight," from assimilated form of ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + condere "put together, store," from assim

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