Where does “lilie” come from?
lilie (Middle English) comes from Old English lilie, from Latin līlia, from Ancient Greek λείριον, from Fayyumic Coptic ϩⲗⲏⲣⲓ, from Demotic ḥrry, from Egyptian ḥrrt — flower, blossom.
Ancestry of “lilie”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | lilie | — |
| 2 | Latin | līlia | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | λείριον | Madonna lily; paperwhite; autumn narcissus |
| 4 | Fayyumic Coptic | ϩⲗⲏⲣⲓ | — |
| 5 | Demotic | ḥrry | flower |
| 6 | Egyptian | ḥrrt | flower, blossom |