Where does “liven” come from?
Liven comes from English enliven, which derives from English life, traced back through Proto-Germanic libjaną to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to remain or persist.
liven (English): To cause to be more lively, or to become more...
Definitions
- To cause to be more lively, or to become more...
Ancestry of “liven”, step by step
liven traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English live
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | live | To be alive; to have life; To have permanent... |
| 2 | English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 3 | Middle English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 4 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 5 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 6 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |
via Middle English liven
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | liven | To live |
| 2 | Old English | libban | to live |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | libbjan | to live, to be alive |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | libjaną | to live, to be alive |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | leyp- | to stick; fat or sticky substance |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |