Where does “Lieja” come from?
Lieja (Portuguese) comes from French Liège, 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.
Ancestry of “Lieja”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | Liège | cork dead protective tissue between the bark and cambium in woody plants, with suberin deposits making it impervious to gasses and water |
| 2 | Old French | liege | liege, servant; liege, free |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | levius | comparative degree of leviter |
| 4 | Latin | lēvis | light, not heavy |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | leɣʷis | light |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁léngʰus | lightweight |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁lengʷʰ- | light |