An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Leilachen

by Friedrich Kluge

Leilachen, Leilach, neuter, ‘sheet,’ from Middle High German lîlachen, lîlach, neuter, ‘bed-linen, sheet.’ The Modern High German and Middle High German word originated in lîn-lacken, which form is often recorded in Middle High German (Leinlachen in earlier Modern High German), and appears in Old High German as lîn-lahhan; lînl- was assimilated in Middle High German to lîll- and ll simplified after a long vowel. A similar course was followed by the Old Icelandic cognate lé-rept for *línrept, *línript, ‘linen.’ The derivation of Leilachen from Middle High German lîhlachen, Old High German lîh-lahhan, ‘body-linen’ (compare Leiche, for Old High German lîh), is less probable, because an assimilation of chl to ll, l, is scarcely credible.