Where does “liegewoman” come from?
liegewoman (English) comes from English liege, from Middle English liege, from Anglo-Norman lige, from Old French liege, from Vulgar Latin levius, from Latin lēvis, from Proto-Italic leɣʷis, from Proto-Indo-European h₁léngʰus — light.
liegewoman (English): A female liege
Definitions
- A female liege
Ancestry of “liegewoman”, step by step
liegewoman traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English liege
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | liege | A free and independent person; "specifically", a... |
| 2 | Middle English | liege | Alternative form of lege |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | lige | liege; liegeman; vassal |
| 4 | Old French | liege | liege, servant; liege, free |
| 5 | Vulgar 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 |
via English woman
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | woman | An adult female human; All female humans... |
| 2 | Middle English | womman | An female adult person; a woman; The female sex... |
| 3 | Old English | wīfmann | woman; female servant; woman |
| 4 | Old English | mann | person; man meaning mankind; man meaning adult... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | mann | person, human |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *mann- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |