Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “levity” come from?

Levity comes from Latin levitas, derived from the adjective levis, which traces back through Proto-Indo-European h₁lengʷʰ-, meaning light in weight.

levity (English): Lightness of manner or speech, frivolity; lack of...

Definitions

  1. Lightness of manner or speech, frivolity; lack of...

Ancestry of “levity”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinlevitās—
2Latin-tās—
3Proto-Indo-European-teh₂tsUsed to form nouns representing state of being
4Proto-Indo-European-teh₂Used to form nouns representing state of being
5Proto-Indo-European-tósCreates verbal adjectives from verb stems

Words derived from “levity”

  • levitous
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tós →