Where does “大リーグ” come from?
大リーグ (Japanese) comes from Japanese リーグ, from English League, from Middle English lege, from Anglo-Norman lige, from Old French liege, from Vulgar Latin levius, from Latin lēvis, from Proto-Italic leɣʷis — light.
Ancestry of “大リーグ”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Japanese | リーグ | league |
| 2 | English | League | — |
| 3 | Middle English | lege | league; one's subjects or vassals; those under... |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | lige | liege; liegeman; vassal |
| 5 | Old French | liege | liege, servant; liege, free |
| 6 | Vulgar Latin | levius | comparative degree of leviter |
| 7 | Latin | lēvis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | leɣʷis | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁léngʰus | lightweight |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁lengʷʰ- | light |