lean
UK[liːn]US[liːn]
v
To bend or move your body in a particular direction.
v
To rest against or on something for support.
v
To rely on someone for help or support.
adj
Having little fat; thin and fit.
adj
(of a period of time) Difficult and not producing much money.
Etymology
The word 'lean' has a direct lineage from Proto-Germanic hlinēną, meaning "to lean, recline, or bend." This, in turn, can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root ḱley-, which carried the sense of "to lean, slope, or incline." The semantic journey is remarkably consistent: the core idea of physical inclination or sloping gave rise to both the verb's meaning of bending or resting against something and the adjective's meaning of being thin or meager, metaphorically extending from a lack of substance or "fullness." Thus, a lean body or a lean year conceptually "slopes away" from plumpness or prosperity.
Analysis
This is a simplex word of Germanic origin. The modern English form 'lean' derives directly from the Old English verb 'hleonian' (to incline, recline) and the adjective 'hlæne' (meager, poor). Its functional role is as a core lexical root.
Examples
She had to lean out of the window to see the parade.
The old fence leans dangerously to one side.
After the recession, the company operated with a very lean workforce.