'leaked' originates from Germanic languages, specifically the words 'leka' (Old Norse) and 'lekken' (Dutch), where the root 'lek-' meant 'to let liquid escape'.

'leka' and related Germanic forms influenced Middle English 'leken/lek(e)', which became the Modern English verb 'leak', whose past tense and past participle are 'leaked'.

Initially, it meant 'to let liquid or gas escape unintentionally', but it later extended to the figurative sense of 'to disclose secret information'.