Where does “lieutenant” come from?

lieutenant (French) comes from French lieu, from Middle French lieu, from Old French leu, from Latin locus, from Old Latin stlocus, from Proto-Italic stlokos, from Proto-Indo-European stel- — to put, to place; to locate.

lieutenant (French): lieutenant

Definitions

  1. lieutenant

Ancestry of “lieutenant”, step by step

lieutenant traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French lieu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchlieuplace; any of several fish from the Pollachius...
2Middle Frenchlieuplace
3Old Frenchleuwolf; place
4Latinlocusplace, spot; a passage of literature; "in the...
5Old Latinstlocus—
6Proto-Italicstlokos—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanstel-to put, to place; to locate

via French tenant

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchtenantpresent participle of tenir; holding each other;...
2Old Frenchtenantholder
3Latintenensholding, having; restraining; knowing, grasping,...
4Latinteneōto hold, have; to grasp
5Proto-Italictenēōto hold
6Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend

Words derived from “lieutenant”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European stel- →Every word from Proto-Italic stlokos →Every word from Old Latin stlocus →