leather
UK[ˈleðə(r)]US[ˈleðər]
n
a strong, flexible material made from the skin of an animal by tanning or a similar process.
adj
made of leather.
v
to cover or furnish with leather.
Etymology
the word "leather" originates from the old english "leþer," which is of common germanic stock, related to old norse "leðr," dutch "leder," and german "leder." its proto-germanic ancestor is "leþrą," meaning "leather." while the ultimate pre-germanic origin is uncertain, it may be connected to a proto-indo-european root meaning "to let go, slacken," possibly referring to the softening process of hides. the semantic journey is direct, from the ancient material processed from animal skins to its modern applications. the word has remained remarkably stable in form and core meaning across the germanic languages for over a millennium.
Analysis
the word "leather" is a simplex word of old english origin. it does not contain separable morphemes in modern english that are productive for analysis.
Examples
his jacket was made of soft, brown leather.
she bought a leather-bound copy of the classic novel.
the company will leather the seats of the new car model.