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
| 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 | — |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | leɣʷis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁léngʰus | lightweight |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁lengʷʰ- | light |
Words derived from “league”