Leshak
/ˈlɛʃ.æk/noun
A Slavic folkloric woodland spirit or demon associated with forests and wild places.
Did you know?The Leshak belongs to the same broad Slavic family of forest beings as the better-known Leshy, a spirit traditionally imagined as able to imitate voices, distort paths, and change size.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*les-
“A reconstructed root associated with woodland or forest vocabulary; its exact origin is debated.”
Proto-Slavic
Proto-Slavic
*lěsъ
“Forest or woodland.”
Old East Slavic
Old East Slavic
лѣсъ
“Forest; a wooded wilderness.”
Medieval Slavic
Slavic
лѣшакъ
“A woodland being or person associated with the forest, formed from the forest word with an agent or inhabitant suffix.”
Modern English
English
Leshak
“An English transliteration used for a Slavic folkloric forest spirit or demon.”