Where does “liche” come from?

liche (French) comes from English lich, from Middle English lich, from Old English līċ, from Proto-West Germanic līk, from Proto-Germanic līką, from Proto-Indo-European leyǵ- — to bind, tie.

liche (French): lich

Definitions

  1. lich

Ancestry of “liche”, step by step

liche traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English lich

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlichA corpse or dead body; A reanimated corpse or...
2Middle EnglishlichA body
3Old Englishlīċbody
4Proto-West Germaniclīkbody
5Proto-Germaniclīkąbody; corpse, dead body; leech-line, bolt-rope
6Proto-Indo-Europeanleyǵ-to bind, tie

via Occitan lecha

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Occitanlecha
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leyǵ-