Where does “beer league” come from?
beer league (English) comes from English League, from Middle English lege, from Anglo-Norman lige, from Old French liege, from Vulgar Latin levius, from Latin lēvis, from Proto-Italic leɣʷis, from Proto-Indo-European h₁léngʰus — light.
beer league (English): An amateur sports league composed of recreational players
Definitions
- An amateur sports league composed of recreational players
Ancestry of “beer league”, step by step
beer league traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English League
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | League | A group or association of cooperating members |
| 2 | Middle English | lege | league; one's subjects or vassals; those under... |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | lige | liege; liegeman; vassal |
| 4 | Old French | liege | liege, servant; liege, free |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | levius | comparative degree of leviter |
| 6 | Latin | lēvis | light, not heavy |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | leɣʷis | light |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁léngʰus | lightweight |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁lengʷʰ- | light |
via English Beer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Beer | An alcoholic drink fermented from starch material, commonly barley malt; often with hops or some other substance (like gruit) to impart a bitter flavor |
| 2 | Dutch | beer | A bear, any member of the family Ursidae; A... |
| 3 | German | bär | — |
| 4 | Middle High German | bër | bear |
| 5 | Old High German | beri | A berry |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | baʀi | berry |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | bazją | berry |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂- | to shine, glow light; to speak, say |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂-s-ri- | — |