Where does “lier” come from?

Lier comes from Middle English lier, from Old English lēgere, derived from Old English lēogan, which traces to Proto-West Germanic leugan, Proto-Germanic leuganą, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European lewgʰ-.

lier (English): A person or thing that lies, in the sense of...

Definitions

  1. A person or thing that lies, in the sense of...

Ancestry of “lier”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishlier—
2Old Englishlēgere—
3Old Englishlēoganto lie, deceive, belie, betray, be in error,...
4Proto-West Germanicleuganto lie, to tell a falsehood
5Proto-Germanicleuganąto lie, to tell a falsehood
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlewgʰ-to lie, to tell falsehood
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewgʰ- →