lestage

ballasting

From Middle French, from Old French lastage (“ballast”), from Medieval Latin lestagium (“tax imposed on a ship's lading”), from Old English hlæst (“load, freight”), from Proto-Germanic *hlastą, *hlastuz (“load, burden”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂- (“to put, lay out”). Cognate with Old High German hlast, hlesti (“load”) (German Last). More at lade.