Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “līċ” come from?

līċ (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic līk, from Proto-Germanic līką, from Proto-Indo-European leyǵ- — to bind, tie.

līċ (Old English): body

Definitions

  1. body

Ancestry of “līċ”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germaniclīkbody
2Proto-Germaniclīkąbody; corpse, dead body; leech-line, bolt-rope
3Proto-Indo-Europeanleyǵ-to bind, tie

Words derived from “līċ”

  • lich
  • lichyard
  • lichway
  • lych-gate
  • lich
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leyǵ- →