Where does “leggiadrous” come from?
leggiadrous (English) comes from Italian leggiadro, from Italian leggiadria, from Old Occitan leujairia, from Vulgar Latin leviarius, from Latin levius, from Latin lēvis, from Proto-Italic leɣʷis, from Proto-Indo-European h₁léngʰus — light.
leggiadrous (English): graceful, elegant
Definitions
- graceful, elegant
Ancestry of “leggiadrous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | leggiadro | lovely, pretty; elegant, graceful, sightly |
| 2 | Italian | leggiadria | loveliness, prettiness; elegance |
| 3 | Old Occitan | leujairia | — |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | leviarius | light |
| 5 | 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 |