Where does “lire” come from?

Lire comes from Italian lira, from Latin libra meaning "pound" or "balance scale," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- meaning "to weigh or balance."

lire (English): Flesh, brawn, or muscle; the fleshy part of a...

Definitions

  1. Flesh, brawn, or muscle; the fleshy part of a...

Ancestry of “lire”, step by step

lire traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Italian lire

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianlireplural of lira
2Italianliralira; lyre
3Latinlībra
4Ancient Greekζυγόνyoke, for joining animals; yoke, burden; in...
5Proto-Hellenicdzugónyoke
6Proto-Indo-Europeanyugómyoke
7Proto-Indo-Europeanyewg-to join, to yoke, to tie together

via Middle English lire

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishlire
2Old Frenchlireto read; to be read
3Latinlegōto collect, gather, bring together, catch
4Latinlēxa proposition or motion for a law made to the people by a magistrate, a bill
5Proto-Italiclēg-
6Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-s
7Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...

via Old Norse líri

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norselíri
Every word from Proto-Indo-European yewg-
lire — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer