Where does “lyke” come from?
Like comes from Middle English like, from Old Norse líkr, from Proto-Germanic galīkaz, formed with the prefix ga- and a root from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm and līg-.
lyke (English): Archaic spelling of like; Obsolete form of lich
Definitions
- Archaic spelling of like; Obsolete form of lich
Ancestry of “lyke”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | like | To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of;... |
| 2 | Dutch | luik | hatch; shutter; panel, as in a triptych |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | luke | — |
| 4 | Dutch | luiken | to close, to shut |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | luken | to close, to shut; to close, to become closed |
| 6 | Old Dutch | lūcan | to close, shut |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | lūkan | to close, to shut |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | lūkaną | to close, to shut; Alternative form of *leukaną |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lewǵ- | to break, tear; to break, shatter |