Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “lier” come from?

lier (Middle English) comes from Old English lēgere, from Old English lēogan, from Proto-West Germanic leugan, from Proto-Germanic leuganą, from Proto-Indo-European lewgʰ- — to lie, to tell falsehood.

Ancestry of “lier”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishlēgere—
2Old Englishlēoganto lie, deceive, belie, betray, be in error,...
3Proto-West Germanicleuganto lie, to tell a falsehood
4Proto-Germanicleuganąto lie, to tell a falsehood
5Proto-Indo-Europeanlewgʰ-to lie, to tell falsehood

Words derived from “lier”

  • liar
  • lier
  • inlier
  • nonliar
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewgʰ- →