Where does “-like” come from?
-like (English) comes from Middle English -like, from Middle English -liche, from Old English -līc, from Proto-Germanic -līkaz, from Proto-Germanic līką, from Proto-Indo-European leyǵ- — to bind, tie.
-like (English): Having some of the characteristics of
Definitions
- Having some of the characteristics of
Ancestry of “-like”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | -like | Alternative form of -liche |
| 2 | Middle English | -liche | Used to form adjectives from nouns, the... |
| 3 | Old English | -līc | adjective-forming suffix meaning 'like' or 'relating to |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -līkaz | -like, -ly |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | līką | body; corpse, dead body; leech-line, bolt-rope |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leyǵ- | to bind, tie |