Where does “loyal” come from?
Loyal comes from Middle French loyal, from Old French leial, from Latin legalis meaning "of or pertaining to law," derived from the root leǵ- meaning "to lay down or establish."
loyal (English): Having or demonstrating undivided and constant...
Definitions
- Having or demonstrating undivided and constant...
Ancestry of “loyal”, step by step
loyal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French loyal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | loyal | loyal, faithful |
| 2 | Old French | loial | loyal |
| 3 | Old French | leial | Alternative form of loial |
| 4 | Latin | lēgālis | legal |
| 5 | Latin | lēx | a proposition or motion for a law made to the people by a magistrate, a bill |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | lēg- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ-s | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ- | to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to... |
via Middle French loyal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | loyal | loyal |