Talk:leech
A person who downloads data freely without uploading something in return, or at least the ratio is too high. — This unsigned comment was added by 193.212.189.209 (talk) at 13:08, 17 August 2005.
- That would be the leecher (in torrent-like terminology) I suppose. --Ivan Štambuk 21:05, 14 February 2009 (UTC)
Kept. See archived discussion of June 2008. 06:01, 7 July 2008 (UTC)
Etymology[edit]
The Middle Dutch form in the entry is the more relevant cognate, but a latter one is rendered as LEKE[7] (leech) - according to Readers Digest Universal Dictionary - that is related to the Old Kentish form LYKE[6]. Gaelic has LEIGHIS[4] (to cure), that may be borrowed from a Norse[2] term; but the stem origin appears to be *LĀC[7] (medicine), whence also *LĀCI> LĀCNIAN (to heal, cure)[Andrew H. Gray 18:36, 27 June 2023 (UTC)Andrew H. Gray 07:39, 12 June 2021 (UTC)] LǢCE[7] (doctor): Citation from Funk & Wagnell two volume dictionary 1947. 22:02, 14 August 2015 (UTC) Andrew (talk)
[0] means 'Absolutely not; [1] means 'Exceedingly unlikely'; [2] means 'Very dubious'; [3] means 'Questionable'; [4] means 'Possible'; [5] means 'Probable'; [6] means 'Likely'; [7] means 'Most Likely' or *Unattested; [8] means 'Attested'; [9] means 'Obvious' - only used for close matches within the same language or dialect, at linkable periods.
Changes made: Andrew H. Gray 10:33, 27 December 2018 (UTC)Andrew (talk)