Where does “lit” come from?
lit (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch lid, from Old English hlið, from Proto-Germanic hlidą, from Proto-Indo-European ḱlitós, from Proto-Indo-European ḱley-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.
Ancestry of “lit”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | lid | — |
| 2 | Old English | hlið | Alternative spelling of hliþ |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hlidą | lid, cover |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlitós | covered, sheltered; leaning, sloped, inclined |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱley- | to shelter, cover; to lean, slope, incline |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |