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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

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English

leading

/ˈliːdɪŋ/
Providing guidance or direction.

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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    From Middle English ledinge, ledynge, ledand, ledande, ledende, from Old English lǣdende, from Proto-West Germanic *laidijandī, from Proto-Germanic *laidijandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *laidijaną (“to lead”), equivalent to lead + -ing. Compare West Frisian liedend, Dutch leidend, German leitend, Swedish ledande, Icelandic leiðandi.

    Etymology 2

    From Middle English leding, ledyng, ledinge, ledunge, equivalent to lead + -ing. Cognate with Dutch leiding (“conduit, leading, guidance, leadership”), German Leitung (“line, conduit, cable”).

    Etymology 3

    From Middle English leedynge, equivalent to lead (chemical element) + -ing; so named because in metal typesetting (letterpress and hot metal typesetting), pieces of lead (slugs, strips, blocks, etc) were often the mechanical means of producing the gap.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishledinge
      • inheritedOld Englishlǣdende
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*laidijandī
          • inheritedProto-Germanic*laidijandz
            • derivedProto-Germanic*laidijaną “to lead”
    • surface analysisEnglishlead “A heavy, pliable, inelastic metal element, having a bright, bluish color, but easily tarnished; bot…”
    • suffixEnglish-ing “As true nouns.”
      • inheritedMiddle English-ynge
        • inheritedOld English-ung
        • inheritedOld English-ende
      • inheritedMiddle English-yng
        • inheritedOld English-ing “belonging to”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishleding
    • inheritedMiddle Englishleedynge

    Related: West Frisian liedend, Dutch leidend, German leitend, Swedish ledande, Icelandic leiðandi, Dutch leiding, German Leitung

    Meanings

    adj
    1. Providing guidance or direction.
    2. Ranking first.
    3. Occurring in advance; preceding.
    noun
    1. An act by which one is led or guided.
    2. Command of an army or military unit.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: leading