Where does “liege” come from?

liege (Old French) comes from Vulgar Latin levius, from Latin lēvis, from Proto-Italic leɣʷis, from Proto-Indo-European h₁léngʰus, from Proto-Indo-European h₁lengʷʰ- — light.

liege (Old French): liege, servant; liege, free

Definitions

  1. liege, servant; liege, free

Ancestry of “liege”, step by step

liege traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vulgar Latin levius

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vulgar Latinleviuscomparative degree of leviter
2Latinlēvislight, not heavy
3Proto-Italicleɣʷislight
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁léngʰuslightweight
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁lengʷʰ-light

via German ledic

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanledic—
2Proto-Germanicliþugazflexible, free, unoccupied
3Proto-Germanic-gaz-y
4Proto-Indo-European-ḱos-y, -ic

Words derived from “liege”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁lengʷʰ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁léngʰus →Every word from Proto-Italic leɣʷis →
liege — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer