Where does “līch” come from?

līch (Middle High German) comes from Old High German līh, from Proto-West Germanic līk, from Proto-Germanic līką, from Proto-Indo-European leyǵ- — to bind, tie.

līch (Middle High German): body

Definitions

  1. body

Ancestry of “līch”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanlīhbody
2Proto-West Germaniclīkbody
3Proto-Germaniclīkąbody; corpse, dead body; leech-line, bolt-rope
4Proto-Indo-Europeanleyǵ-to bind, tie
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leyǵ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic līką →Every word from Proto-West Germanic līk →