Where does “alegiaunce” come from?
alegiaunce (Middle English) comes from Anglo-Norman alegaunce, from Old French ligeance, from Old French lige, from Old French liege, from Vulgar Latin levius, from Latin lēvis, from Proto-Italic leɣʷis, from Proto-Indo-European h₁léngʰus — light.
Ancestry of “alegiaunce”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | alegaunce | loyalty of a liege-servant to one's lord |
| 2 | Old French | ligeance | — |
| 3 | Old French | lige | liege; liegeman; vassal |
| 4 | Old French | liege | liege, servant; liege, free |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | levius | comparative degree of leviter |
| 6 | Latin | lēvis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | leɣʷis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁léngʰus | lightweight |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁lengʷʰ- | light |