Where does “lively” come from?
Lively comes from Middle English lyvely, from Old English līflīċ, meaning full of life or animate.
lively (English): Full of life; energetic; Bright, glowing, vivid;...
Definitions
- Full of life; energetic; Bright, glowing, vivid;...
Ancestry of “lively”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lyvely | — |
| 2 | Old English | līflīċ | living, lively, long-lived, necessary to life,... |
| 3 | Old English | līf | life, existence; life-time |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | līb | body; life |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lībą | body; life |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lībaną | to remain, to be left |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | leyp- | to stick; fat or sticky substance |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |