Where does “lily-livered” come from?
lily-livered (English) comes from English livered, from English ED, from Japanese エンディング, from English ending, from Middle English ending, from Middle English endyng, from Old English endung, from Old English endian — on, onto.
lily-livered (English): Cowardly, lacking courage
Definitions
- Cowardly, lacking courage
Ancestry of “lily-livered”, step by step
lily-livered traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English livered
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | livered | Having a specified form of liver |
| 2 | English | ED | Initialism of erectile dysfunction; Initialism of... |
| 3 | Japanese | エンディング | ending, especially of a broadcast or performance |
| 4 | English | ending | A termination or conclusion; The last part of... |
| 5 | Middle English | ending | Alternative form of endyng |
| 6 | Middle English | endyng | An ending, termination, or conclusion;... |
| 7 | Old English | endung | ending |
| 8 | Old English | endian | to end, make an end of; to finish, complete; to... |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | andijōną | to end, bring to an end, finish |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | andijaz | end |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂entíos | front; forehead |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via English Lily
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Lily | Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species |
| 2 | Middle English | lilie | Lilium candidum, its flower, or a similar plant often used medicinally |
| 3 | Old English | lilie | a lily |
| 4 | Latin | līlia | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | λείριον | Madonna lily; paperwhite; autumn narcissus |
| 6 | Fayyumic Coptic | ϩⲗⲏⲣⲓ | — |
| 7 | Demotic | ḥrry | flower |
| 8 | Egyptian | ḥrrt | flower, blossom |