Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Lil” come from?

Lil is a shortened form of Lillian, which derives from Latin lilium, from Ancient Greek λείριον, meaning lily flower.

Ancestry of “Lil”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishLilian—
2Latinlīlium—
3Ancient GreekλείριονMadonna lily; paperwhite; autumn narcissus
4Fayyumic Copticϩⲗⲏⲣⲓ—
5Demoticḥrryflower
6Egyptianḥrrtflower, blossom
Every word from Egyptian ḥrrt →