Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “lige” come from?

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

lige (Old French): liege; liegeman; vassal

Definitions

  1. liege; liegeman; vassal

Ancestry of “lige”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchliegeliege, servant; liege, free
2Vulgar Latinleviuscomparative degree of leviter
3Latinlēvis—
4Proto-Italicleɣʷis—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁léngʰuslightweight
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁lengʷʰ-light

Words derived from “lige”

  • legs
  • leg
  • league
  • ledge
  • ley
  • lea
  • liege
  • Legge
  • bootleg
  • foreleg
  • leggy
  • bootlegging
  • legwork
  • bootlegger
  • blackleg
  • legging
  • liegeman
  • dogleg
  • ledged
  • legroom
  • interleague
  • midleg
  • proleg
  • ledgment
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁lengʷʰ- →