Where does “ligeance” come from?
ligeance (English) comes from Middle English legiaunce, from Old French ligeance, from Old French lige, from Old French liege, from Vulgar Latin levius, from Latin lēvis, from Proto-Italic leɣʷis, from Proto-Indo-European h₁léngʰus — light.
ligeance (English): The connection between sovereign and subject by...
Definitions
- The connection between sovereign and subject by...
Ancestry of “ligeance”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | legiaunce | Allegiance, loyalty (including duty and responsibility to one's feudal superior) |
| 2 | Old French | ligeance | — |
| 3 | Old French | 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 |