Where does “livid” come from?
Livid comes from Middle English livid, from Middle French livide, from Latin lividus meaning bluish or black-and-blue, derived from Latin liveo meaning to be black-and-blue, from Proto-Italic sliwēō, from Proto-Indo-European sliwo-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)leh₃y-.
livid (English): Having a dark, bluish appearance; Pale, pallid;...
Definitions
- Having a dark, bluish appearance; Pale, pallid;...
Ancestry of “livid”, step by step
livid traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English livid
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | livid | livid, blue |
| 2 | Middle French | livide | — |
| 3 | Latin | lividus | leaden, bluish, blue; black and blue, livid;... |
| 4 | Latin | liveo | I am of a bluish color; I am livid; I am envious,... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | sliwēō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sliwo- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)leh₃y- | blueish |