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Which of the following is correct?

I am leaving for London.

I am leaving to London.

I have always thought the first one is correct till I came across the name of this painting.

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related: “where's that to?” – Matt Эллен Apr 20 '12 at 9:19
By the way, since the painter is Italian, the title of the painting is not the original title by the artist but a translation from somebody who may not have translated it correctly. – Maria Apr 5 at 19:21
Agreed. I today certainly wouldn’t translate Il Viaggio di Mosè in Egitto with anything involving “leaving to”. – tchrist Apr 5 at 19:29

1 Answer

up vote 5 down vote accepted

Both are correct, but the first is more common modern parlance. Leaving to is likely an ellipsis of leaving to go to.

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I don't think it's missing go to at all. As the answer to the question I link to suggests, to by itself is accepted and has been for hundreds of years. – Matt Эллен Apr 20 '12 at 9:24
@MattЭллен That question also says "Now only dial. and U.S. colloq." I've never heard it in England (but then I don't often go to Somerset and the West Country), and I'd never use "leave to London". – Andrew Leach Apr 20 '12 at 13:31
@AndrewLeach I bet it's heard (well maybe not the London part) in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall – Matt Эллен Apr 20 '12 at 13:42
How about "I'm about to leave to the station?" – Matt Эллен Apr 20 '12 at 13:45
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I'm happy that it should be a West Country or American dialect. The US inherited many dialectal forms, or has developed them separately [UK: got; US still has gotten]. But I'd never leave to anywhere, it's always leave for. – Andrew Leach Apr 20 '12 at 13:49
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