Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “lither” come from?

lither (Middle English) comes from Old English lȳþre, from Proto-Germanic lūþrijaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)lew- — to sludge, to wash; loose, limp, flabby; limp,...

lither (Middle English): bad, wicked, false

Definitions

  1. bad, wicked, false

Ancestry of “lither”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishlȳþrebad, wicked, base, mean, corrupt, wretched
2Proto-Germaniclūþrijazneglected, dissolute, useless, bad
3Proto-Indo-European(s)lew-to sludge, to wash; loose, limp, flabby; limp,...

Words derived from “lither”

  • lither
  • lidderon
  • litherness
  • lidrone
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)lew- →