Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “lick” come from?

Lick comes from Middle English likken, from Old English liccian, from Proto-Germanic likkōną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European leyǵʰ-.

lick (English): The act of licking; a stroke of the tongue; The...

Definitions

  1. The act of licking; a stroke of the tongue; The...

Ancestry of “lick”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanleute—
2Middle High Germanliute—
3Old High Germanliutipeople, subordinates
4Proto-West Germanic*liud(i)—
5Proto-Germanicliudīz—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁léwdʰispeople
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁lewdʰ-to grow; people

Words derived from “lick”

  • licking
  • cowlick
  • relick
  • bootlick
  • lickable
  • licketh
  • licky
  • cowlicked
  • deerlick
  • lickpenny
  • unlickable
  • lickest
  • midlick
  • arslikhan
  • lickably
  • overlick
  • arse-licking
  • licksome
  • lickport
  • outlick
  • interlick
  • lick clean
  • facelick
  • lickability
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁lewdʰ- →