Where does “legiaunce” come from?
legiaunce (Middle English) comes 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, from Proto-Indo-European h₁lengʷʰ- — light.
legiaunce (Middle English): Allegiance, loyalty (including duty and responsibility to one's feudal superior)
Definitions
- Allegiance, loyalty (including duty and responsibility to one's feudal superior)
Ancestry of “legiaunce”, step by step
legiaunce traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French ligeance
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | ligeance | — |
| 2 | Old French | lige | liege; liegeman; vassal |
| 3 | Old French | liege | liege, servant; liege, free |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | levius | comparative degree of leviter |
| 5 | Latin | lēvis | light, not heavy |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | leɣʷis | light |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁léngʰus | lightweight |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁lengʷʰ- | light |
via Old French legeance
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | legeance | — |