Where does “league” come from?
League comes from Middle English lege, from Middle French ligue, from Italian lega, derived from Italian legare meaning to bind, ultimately from Latin ligō meaning to tie or bind.
league (English): A group or association of cooperating members; An...
Definitions
- A group or association of cooperating members; An...
Ancestry of “league”, step by step
league traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English liege
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | liege | Alternative form of lege |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | lige | liege; liegeman; vassal |
| 3 | Old French | liege | liege, servant; liege, free |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | levius | comparative degree of leviter |
| 5 | Latin | lēvis | light, not heavy |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | leɣʷis | light |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁léngʰus | lightweight |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁lengʷʰ- | light |
via Middle English lige
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lige | a pact between governments, an agreement,... |
| 2 | Old French | lige | liege; liegeman; vassal |
via Middle English ligg
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ligg | — |