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
- Lightness of manner or speech, frivolity; lack of...
Ancestry of “levity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | levitās | levity, lightness |
| 2 | Latin | -tās | ty, -dom, -hood, -ness, -ship |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ts | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -tós | Creates verbal adjectives from verb stems |