Etymology Dictionary

LEAN (1),  to incline, bend, stoop.  (E.)   M.E. lenen, P. Plowman, B. prol. 9, xviii. 5.    The trans. and intrans. forms are now alike; properly, the intrans. form is the more primitive, and the mod. E. verb follows rather the trans. or causal form.—A.S. hlǽnan, trans. weak verb, to make to lean, Grein, i. 81; we find also A.S. hleonian, hlinian, intrans. weak verb, to lean, id. i. 85. + O. Sax. hlinón, intrans. form. + Du. leunen, intrans. + Dan. læne, tr. and refl. (causal). + Swed. läna, tr. and refl. (causal). + O.H.G. leinan, properly the causal form; O.H.G. hlinen, M.H.G. lenen, G. lehnen, intrans. form. + Lat. clinare*, obsolete causal form; occurring in inclinare; see Incline. + Gk. κλίνειν, causal form (with long ι), to make to bend, cause to lean. + Skt. çri, to go to, enter, undergo; 'the orig. signification is probably to cling to, to lean;' Benfey.   β. All from ✔KRI, to go to, cling to, lean against; the Teut. base being HLI.   See Fick, i. 62, iii. 88.   Der. lean (2).   From the same root, in-cline, de-cline, re-cline, en-cline, ac-cliv-i-ty, de-cliv-i-ty. [†]

LEAN (2),  slender, not fat, frail, thin.  (E.)   M.E. lene (two syllables).   'As lenè was his hors as is a rake;' Chaucer, C. T. 289.—A.S. hlǽne, lean; used of Pharaoh's lean kine; Gen. xli. 3.   β. The orig. sense was prob. leaning, bending, stooping; hence weak, thin, poor.   Cf. Lat. decliuis, bending down, declining; ætate decliuis, in the decline of life.   See Lean (1).   ➩ The occurrence of the initial h in A.S. hlǽne at once connects it with the verb, and at the same time separates it from A.S. lǽne, adj. transitory, which is connected with lend and loan; see Grein, ii. 163.   Der. lean-ly, lean-ness.