Where does “legendary” come from?
Legendary derives from English legend, influenced by the Latin suffix -arius and -alis, from Latin legenda meaning "things to be read," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European leǵ-.
legendary (English): Of or pertaining to a legend or to legends;...
Definitions
- Of or pertaining to a legend or to legends;...
Ancestry of “legendary”, step by step
legendary traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Legend
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Legend | The life story of a saint such stories are often embellished, but any kind is called a legend |
| 2 | Middle English | legende | A hagiography, especially when read in church; A... |
| 3 | Old French | legende | legend |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | legenda | a legend, story, especially the lives of the... |
| 5 | Latin | legenda | legend; inflection of legendus: ##... |
| 6 | Latin | legendum | nominative neuter singular of legendus;... |
| 7 | Latin | legō | to collect, gather, bring together, catch |
| 8 | Latin | lēx | a proposition or motion for a law made to the people by a magistrate, a bill |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | lēg- | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ-s | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ- | to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to... |
via Middle Latin legendarius
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Latin | legendarius | — |