Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “litel” come from?

litel (Middle English) comes from Old English lȳtel, from Proto-West Germanic lūtil, from Proto-Germanic lūtilaz, from Proto-Germanic burgz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ-.

litel (Middle English): little

Definitions

  1. little

Ancestry of “litel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishlȳtellittle
2Proto-West Germaniclūtil—
3Proto-Germaniclūtilazbent; tending to stoop; crouching; little
4Proto-Germanicburgzfortification, stronghold; city
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰr̥ǵʰ-—

Words derived from “litel”

  • belittle
  • belittlement
  • littleneck
  • wittle
  • litty
  • littlish
  • belittler
  • littlie
  • littly
  • belittleth
  • belittlest
  • Little Red Riding Hood
  • Little Christmas
  • little bittern
  • little
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ- →