Where does “-li” come from?
-li (Middle English) comes from Old English -līc, from Proto-Germanic -līkaz, from Proto-Germanic līką, from Proto-Indo-European leyǵ- — to bind, tie.
-li (Middle English): Alternative form of -liche
Definitions
- Alternative form of -liche
Ancestry of “-li”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | -līc | adjective-forming suffix meaning 'like' or 'relating to |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | -līkaz | -like, -ly |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | līką | body; corpse, dead body; leech-line, bolt-rope |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | leyǵ- | to bind, tie |