Etymology dictionary

liquidize (v.) — livery (n.)

liquidize (v.)

1837, "make liquid," from liquid (adj.) + -ize. Meaning "to run through a kitchen liquidizer" is from 1954. Related: Liquidized; liquidizing.

liquor (v.)

c. 1500, "to moisten," from liquor (n.). From 1550s as "supply with liquor," 1839 as "drink" (intoxicating liquor). To liquor up "get drunk" is from 1845. Related: Liquored; liquoring.

c. 1200, likur "any matter in a liquid state, a liquid or fluid substance," from Old French licor "fluid, liquid; sap; oil" (12c., Modern French liqueur), from Latin liquorem (nominative liquor) "a liquid, liquor; wine; the sea," originally "liquidity, fluidity," from liquere "be fluid, liquid" (see liquid (adj.)).

Narrowed sense of "fermented or distilled drink" (especially wine) first recorded c. 1300; the broader sense seems to have been obsolete from c. 1700. As long as liquor is in him was a Middle English expression, "as long as he is alive," that is, "as long as he has a drop of blood left." The form in Modern English has been assimilated to Latin, but the old pronunciation persists.

liquorice (n.)

chiefly British alternative spelling of licorice (q.v.).

lira (n.)

Italian monetary unit, 1610s, from Italian lira, literally "pound," from Latin libra "pound (unit of weight);" see Libra, and compare livre. There also was a Turkish lira.

Lisbon

capital of Portugal, Portuguese Lisboa, perhaps from a Phoenician word; the derivation from Ulysses probably is folk-etymology.

lisle (n.)

in reference to fabric, thread, etc., 1851, from French Lisle, earlier spelling of Lille, city in northwest France where the thread was made. The name is apparently originally l'isle "the island," referring to its location.

lisp (v.)

sometimes lipse, late 14c. alteration of wlisp, from late Old English awlyspian "to lisp, to pronounce 's' and 'z' imperfectly," from wlisp (adj.) "lisping," which is probably imitative (compare Middle Dutch, Old High German lispen, Danish læspe, Swedish läspa). General sense "speak imperfectly or childishly" is from 17c. Transitive sense from 1610s. Related: Lisped; lisping. Suggestive of effeminacy from 14c.

lisp (n.)

"act or habit of lisping," 1620s, from lisp (v.).

lissome (adj.)

"limber, supple, flexible," 1800, variant of lithesome. Related: Lissomeness.

listing (n.)

"the placing of property with an agent to be catalogued for sale," 1906, verbal noun from list (v.3); meaning "an entry in a catalogue" is from 1962.

list (n.1)

"catalogue consisting of names in a row or series," c. 1600, from Middle English liste "border, edging, stripe" (late 13c.), from Old French liste "border, band, row, group," also "strip of paper," or from Old Italian lista "border, strip of paper, list," both from Germanic sources (compare Old High German lista "strip, border, list," Old Norse lista "border, selvage," Old English liste "border of cloth, fringe"), from Proto-Germanic *liston, from PIE *leizd- "border, band."

The original Middle English sense is now obsolete. The sense of "enumeration" is from strips of paper used as a sort of catalogue. The native Old English form of the word lingered as list in a few specialized senses. List price is from 1871.

list (n.2)

"a narrow strip," Old English liste "border, hem, edge, strip," from Proto-Germanic *liston (source also of Old High German lista "strip, border, list," Old Norse lista "border, selvage," German leiste), from PIE *leizd- "border, band" (see list (n.1)). The Germanic root also is the source of French liste, Italian lista. The word has had many technical senses in English, including "lobe of an ear" and "a stripe of color." This also is the list in archaic lists "place of combat" (late 14c.), from an earlier sense "boundary;" the fighting ground being originally at the boundary of fields.

list (n.3)

"a lean (of a ship) to one side," 1834, from earlier lust, from the verb (see list (v.1)).

list (n.4)

c. 1200, "pleasure, enjoyment;" mid-13c., "desire, wish, will, choice," from list (v.4). Somehow English has lost listy (adj.) "pleasant, willing (to do something); ready, quick" (mid-15c.).

list (v.1)

"to tilt, lean, incline to one side," especially of a ship, 1880, earlier spelled lust (1620s), of unknown origin. Perhaps an unexplained spelling variant of Middle English lysten "to please, desire, wish, like" (see list (v.4)) with a sense development from the notion of "leaning" toward what one desires (compare incline (v.)). Related: Listed; listing.

list (v.2)

also lyst, "hear, harken," now poetic or obsolete, from Old English hlystan "hear, hearken," from hlyst "hearing," from Proto-Germanic *hlustjan (source also of Old Norse hlusta), from PIE root *kleu- "to hear." With "noun-formative -t-" [Century Dictionary]. Related: Listed; listing.

list (v.3)

"to put down in a list or catalogue; to make a list of," 1610s, from list (n.1). Meaning "to place real estate on the market" is from 1904. Meaning "put an edge around" (c. 1300, now probably obsolete) is from Old French lister or else from list (n.2). Related: Listed; listing.

list (v.4)

"to be pleased, desire" (intransitive), a sense now archaic, mid-12c., lusten, listen "to please, desire," from Old English lystan "to please, cause pleasure or desire, provoke longing," from Proto-Germanic *lustjan (source also of Old Saxon lustian, Dutch lusten "to like, fancy," Old High German lusten, German lüsten, Old Norse lysta "desire, wish, have a fancy"), from *lustuz-, from PIE root *las- "to be eager, wanton, or unruly" (see lust (n.)). Related: Listed; listing.

listed (adj.)

"included in a roll or catalogue," 1882, from past participle of list (v.3). Of telephone numbers, "in the phone book," from 1919. Earlier "provided with a border" (mid-15c.), from list (n.2); from 1670s in reference to ground marked off for combat.

listen (v.)

Old English hlysnan (Northumbrian lysna) "to listen, hear; attend to, obey" (transitive), from Proto-Germanic *hlusinon (source also of Dutch luisteren, Old High German hlosen "to listen," German lauschen "to listen"), from PIE root *kleu- "to hear."

This root is the source also of Sanskrit srnoti "hears," srosati "hears, obeys;" Avestan sraothra "ear;" Middle Persian srod "hearing, sound;" Lithuanian klausau, klausyti "to hear," šlovė "splendor, honor;" Old Church Slavonic slusati "to hear," slava "fame, glory," slovo "word;" Greek klyo "hear, be called," kleos "report, rumor, fame glory," kleio "make famous;" Latin cluere "to hear oneself called, be spoken of;" Old Irish ro-clui-nethar "hears," clunim "I hear," clu "fame, glory," cluada "ears;" Welsh clywaf "I hear;" Old English hlud "loud," hleoðor "tone, tune;" Old High German hlut "sound;" Gothic hiluþ "listening, attention."

The -t- probably is by influence of Old English hlystan (see list (v.2)). For vowel evolution, see bury. Intransitive sense is from c. 1200. To listen in (1905) was originally in reference to radio broadcasts.

listenable (adj.)

1834, from listen (v.) + -able. Related: Listenability.

listener (n.)

1610s, "one who listens;" agent noun from listen (v.). Meaning "one who hears a radio broadcast" is from 1912; hence listenership (1938).

listen (n.)

"an act of listening," 1788, in on the listen "alert," from listen (v.).

Listerine (n.)

1879, American English, formulated by Dr. Joseph Lawrence and Jordan Wheat Lambert as a multi-purpose disinfectant and anti-septic for surgery. In 1895, after it was discovered to kill germs commonly found in the mouth, the Lambert Company started marketing it as an oral antiseptic. The product was named for Joseph Lord Lister, F.R.S., O.M. (1827-1912), the English surgeon, who in 1865 revolutionized modern surgery by applying Pasteur's discoveries and performing the first ever antiseptic surgery. Lister objected in vain to the use of his name on the product.

Lister (attested from 1286, an Anglian surname) is contracted from litster, from Middle English liten "to dye, color" (from Old Norse; see lit (n.1)) + fem. agent suffix -ster; hence, "a dyer." Unless it is from lister (late 14c.) "clerk whose duty is to read and expound Scriptures; one who reads books, a reader" (from a variant of French litres).

listless (adj.)

"languid and unresponsive, slothful," mid-15c., from Middle English liste "pleasure, joy, delight" (see list (v.4)) + -less. Spenser, if no one else, tried listful (1590s). Related: Listlessly; listlessness.

lit (adj.)

"illuminated; afire," past-participle adjective from light (v.2). Slang meaning "drunk" is recorded from 1914.

lit (n.2)

colloquial shortening of literature, attested by 1850.

lit (n.1)

"color, hue, dye," early 12c., from Old Norse litr "color, hue; the color of the sky at dawn or dusk," from Proto-Germanic *wlitiz (source also of Old Frisian wlite "exterior, form," Gothic *wlits "face, form"). The cognate Old English word was wlite "brightness; appearance, form, aspect; look, countenance; beauty, splendor," which seems to have been rare after c. 1400. Compare litmus.

litany (n.)

c. 1200, "solemn prayer of supplication," from Old French letanie (13c., Modern French litanie) and directly from Medieval Latin letania, Late Latin litania (source also of Spanish letania, Italian litania), from Greek litaneia "prayer, an entreating," from lite "prayer, supplication, entreaty," a word of unknown origin. From the notion of monotonous enumeration of petitions in Christian prayer services came the generalized sense of "repeated series" (early 19c.), which originated in French.

Related: Litaneutical.

lite (adj.)

alternative spelling of light (adj.1), by 1962, but used from at least 1917 as a word-forming element in product names, often as a variation of light (n.).

Coincidentally lite in Old English and early Middle English meant "few; little; not much;" see little (adj.), which is an extended form of it.

-lite

word-forming element meaning "stone," from French -lite, variant of -lithe, from Greek lithos "stone" (see litho-). The form perhaps influenced by chemical word-forming element -ite (1).

liter (n.)

unit of capacity in the metric system, 1797, from French litre (1793), from litron, name of an obsolete French measure of capacity for grain (16c.), from Medieval Latin litra, from Greek litra "pound" (unit of weight), which apparently is from the same Sicilian Italic source as Latin libra (see Libra).

literal (adj.)

late 14c., "taking words in their natural meaning" (originally in reference to Scripture and opposed to mystical or allegorical), from Late Latin literalis/litteralis "of or belonging to letters or writing," from Latin litera/littera "letter, alphabetic sign; literature, books" (see letter (n.1)). Related: Literalness.

Meaning "of or pertaining to alphabetic letters" is from late 14c. Meaning "concerned with letters and learning, learned, scholarly" is from mid-15c. Sense of "verbally exact, according to the letter of verbal expression" is attested from 1590s, as is application to the primary sense of a word or passage. Literal-minded is attested from 1791.

literalism (n.)

"literal interpretation or understanding," 1640s, from French littéralisme; see literal + -ism. In art, "exact rendering or representation," shading toward "unimaginative exactness."

literation (n.)

"representation of sounds by alphabetic letters," 1843, from Latin litera "alphabetic letter" (see letter (n.1)) + -ation.

literality (n.)

"quality of being literal; literal meaning," 1640s; see literal + -ity.

literate (adj.)

"educated, instructed, having knowledge of letters," early 15c., from Latin literatus/litteratus "educated, learned, who knows the letters;" formed in imitation of Greek grammatikos from Latin littera/litera "alphabetic letter" (see letter (n.1)). By late 18c. especially "acquainted with literature." As a noun, "one who can read and write," 1894.

literally (adv.)

1530s, "in a literal sense, according to the exact meaning of the word or words used," from literal + -ly (2). Since late 17c. it has been used in metaphors, hyperbole, etc., to indicate what follows must be taken in the strongest admissible sense. But this is irreconcilable with the word's etymological sense and has led to this much-lamented modern use of it.

literacy (n.)

"ability to read and write," 1883, from literate + abstract noun suffix -cy. Illiteracy, however, dates back to 17c.

literalist (n.)

"one who adheres to the exact word," 1640s, from literal + -ist. Related: Literalistic (1850).

literary (adj.)

1640s, "pertaining to alphabet letters," from French littéraire, from Latin literarius/litterarius "belonging to letters or learning," from littera/litera "alphabetic letter" (see letter (n.1)). Meaning "pertaining to literature" is attested from 1737. Related: Literariness.

literati (n.)

"men and women of letters; the learned class as a whole," 1620s, noun use of Latin literati/litterati, plural of literatus/litteratus "educated, learned" (see literate). The proper singular would be literatus (fem. literata), though Italian literato sometimes is used in English.

literature (n.)

early 15c., "book-learning," from Latin literatura/litteratura "learning, a writing, grammar," originally "writing formed with letters," from litera/littera "alphabetic letter" also "an epistle, writing, document; literature, great books; science, learning" (see letter (n.1)). In English originally "book learning" (in which sense it replaced Old English boccræft); the meaning "activity of a writer, the profession of a literary writer" is first attested 1779 in Johnson's "Lives of the English Poets;" that of "literary productions as a whole, body of writings from a period or people" is first recorded 1812.

Meaning "the whole of the writing on a particular subject" is by 1860; sense of "printed matter generally" is from 1895. The Latin word also is the source of Spanish literatura, Italian letteratura, German Literatur.

lith (n.)

"joint, limb of the body" (now obsolete or provincial), Old English liþ "limb, member, joint," cognate with Old Frisian lith, Dutch lid, Old High German lid, Old Norse liðr, Gothic liþus, and, compounded with ga-, German glied "limb, member." Lith and limb was a Middle English alliterative pairing.

-lith

word-forming element meaning "stone, rock," from Modern Latin -lithus or French -lithe (see -lith).

lithe (adj.)

Old English liðe "soft, mild, gentle, calm, meek," also, of persons, "gracious, kind, agreeable," from Proto-Germanic *linthja- (source also of Old Saxon lithi "soft, mild, gentle," Old High German lindi, German lind, Old Norse linr "soft to the touch, gentle, mild, agreeable," with characteristic loss of "n" before "th" in English), from PIE root *lento- "flexible" (source also of Latin lentus "flexible, pliant, slow," Sanskrit lithi).

In Middle English, used of the weather. Current sense of "easily flexible" is from c. 1300. Related: Litheness. Old and Middle English had the related verb lin "to cease doing (something)," also used of the wind dying down.

litharge (n.)

"mineral form of lead monoxide" (used to make red pigments), early 14c., from Old French litarge, from Latin lithargyrus, from Greek lithargyros, from lithos "stone" (see litho-) + argyros "silver" (from PIE root *arg- "to shine; white," hence "silver" as the shining or white metal).

lithesome (adj.)

1768, from lithe + -some (1). Related: Lithesomely; lithesomeness.

lithic (adj.)

1797, "pertaining to or consisting of stone," from Greek lithikos "of or pertaining to stone," from lithos "stone" (see litho-). From 1875 as "pertaining to lithium.

lithium (n.)

silver-white metallic element, 1818, with element ending -ium + lithia, Modern Latin name given by Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius (1779-1848) to the earth from which it was extracted, from Greek lithos "stone" (see litho-). The name indicates its mineral origin and distinguishes it from two previously known alkalis of vegetable origin.

litho-

before vowels, lith-, word-forming element meaning "stone, rock;" from Greek lithos "stone, a precious stone, marble; a piece on a game board," a word of unknown origin.

lithodomous (adj.)

"dwelling in rocks," 1835, from French lithodomus, lithodomes "shellfish which lives in a hole in a rock" (1820s, Cuvier), from litho- "rock" + Greek domos "house" (see domestic (adj.)). Greek lithodomos meant "a mason," from demein "to build," which is derived from domos.

lithograph (n.)

"print made by lithography," 1828, a back-formation from lithography. As a verb, "to reproduce by lithography," from 1825. Related: Lithographed.

lithography (n.)

"ink-impression printing from designs, etc., cut into stone," 1813, from German Lithographie (c. 1804), coined from litho- "stone" + -graphie (see -graphy), which here apparently draws its sense from the Greek verb graphein "to draw, represent by lines" rather than the abstract noun ending -graphia "description of" (in writing), used to form names of descriptive sciences. So called because the original printing surfaces were of stone. The process was said to have been invented c.1796 by Alois Senefelder (1771-1833) of Munich. The word had been used earlier in English in the sense "description of stones or rocks" (1708). Another earlier sense, now also obsolete, was "art of engraving on precious stones" (1730). Related: Lithographer; lithographic.

litholatry (n.)

"worship of a rock or rocks," 1868, from litho- "rock" + -latry "worship of." Related: Litholater.

lithology (n.)

"the study of rock-formation," a branch of geology, 1716, from Modern Latin lithologia, from litho- "rock" + -logia "study of" (see -logy). Related: Lithologic; lithologically; lithologist.

lithosphere (n.)

"crust of the earth, solid part of the earth's surface," 1881, from or modeled on German Lithosphäre (1870s); see litho- "stone" + sphere.

lithotomy (n.)

operation of cutting out a bladder stone, 1721; see litho- "stone" + -tomy "a cutting." Greek lithotomia meant "place where stone is cut; a quarry" (lithotomos is "stone-cutter").

lithotripsy (n.)

operation of crushing a stone in the bladder, 1834, from litho- "stone" + -tripsy, from Greek tripsis "rubbing, friction," from tribein "to rub, thresh, pound, wear out," from PIE root *tere- (1) "to rub, turn." Klein says the intended Greek word is thryptein "to crush" and there has been "confusion" with tribein.

Lithuania

Baltic nation, from Lithuanian Lietuva, a name of unknown origin, perhaps from a PIE source related to Latin litus "shore" (see littoral) and thus meaning "shoreland." Related: Lithuanian (c. 1600 as a noun). Kant, who was born in nearby Königsberg, was the first to call attention to its philological purity; it preserves many ancient Indo-European features, and "Lithuanian peasants can understand Sanskrit sentences pronounced by learned scholars" according to the "Encyclopedia Americana" (1919).

litigate (v.)

1610s (intransitive), from Latin litigatus, past participle of litigare "to dispute, carry on a suit," from phrase litem agere "to drive a suit," from litem (nominative lis) "lawsuit, dispute, quarrel, strife" (which is of uncertain origin) + agere "to set in motion, drive forward" (from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move"). Transitive sense is from 1741. Related: Litigated; litigating.

litigator (n.)

1880, "one who files lawsuits;" 1882, "one who argues lawsuits," agent noun from Latin litigare "to dispute, quarrel; go to court, litigate" (see litigation). Latin litigator meant "a party to a lawsuit; litigant;" it was translated in Old English as flitgern, flit-georn "one desirous of contention, a quarreler."

litigant (n.)

1650s; earlier as an adjective (1630s), from French litigant or directly from Latin litigantem (nominative litigans), present participle of litigare "to dispute, quarrel, strive, carry on a suit" (see litigation).

litigation (n.)

"act of carrying on a lawsuit," 1640s, from Late Latin litigationem (nominative litigatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin litigare "to dispute, quarrel; sue, go to court," from phrase litem agere "to drive a suit," from litem (nominative lis) "lawsuit, dispute, quarrel, strife" (which is of uncertain origin) + agere "to set in motion, drive forward" (from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move"). The word was earlier in English in a now obsolete sense "disputation" (1560s). Other legal terms in English from Latin lis included litiscontestation (15c.), litispendence (17c.).

litigious (adj.)

"fond of engaging in lawsuits," 1620s, from French litigieux and directly from Latin litigiosus "contentious, quarrelsome," from litigium "dispute, strife," from litigare "to dispute, quarrel; sue, go to court" (see litigation). The word was in Middle English with a now-obsolete sense "fond of disputes" (late 14c.), making it senior in English to litigate or litigation. Related: Litigiousness; litigiosity.

litmus (n.)

"blue dye-stuff obtained from certain lichens," early 14c., lit-mose, probably from an Old Norse word related to Norwegian dialectal litmose, from Old Norse lita "to dye, to stain" (from litr "color, dye;" see lit (n.1)) + mos "moss." Said to be also in part from Middle Dutch lijkmoes (Dutch lakmoes), from lac (see lac) + moes "pulp." Another idea [Watkins] connects the first element to Middle Dutch leken "to drip, leak" (see leak (v.)). The second element is in any case the common Germanic word for "moss, lichen" (see moss).

The dye is obtained from certain lichens. It is naturally blue but turns red in acid and is restored to blue by alkalis. Figurative use of litmus test is first attested 1957, from scientific use of litmus-treated paper as a chemical indicator. Litmus paper with this meaning is from 1803.

litotes (n.)

rhetorical figure in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary ("no laughing matter"), from Greek litotes "plainness, simplicity," from litos "smooth, plain," also "frugal, small, meager," and, of style, "simple, unadorned," from PIE root *(s)lei- "slimy, sticky, slippery" (hence "smooth"); see slime (n.).

litre (n.)

chiefly British English spelling of liter; for spelling, see -re.

litter (n.)

c. 1300, "a bed," also "bed-like vehicle carried on men's shoulders" (early 14c.), from Anglo-French litere "portable bed," Old French litiere "litter, stretcher, bier; straw, bedding" (12c.), from Medieval Latin lectaria "litter," from Latin lectus "bed, lounge, sofa, dining-couch," from PIE *legh-to-, suffixed form of root *legh- "to lie down, lay."

Altered in French by influence of lit "bed." The meaning was extended early 15c. to "straw used for bedding" (this sense is early 14c. in Anglo-French) and by late 15c. to "offspring of an animal at one birth" (that is, in one bed). Litter by 19c. had come to mean both the straw bedding and the animal waste in it after use. The sense of "scattered oddments, disorderly debris" is first attested 1730 and probably is from litter (v.) "provide with bedding" (late 14c.) and sense extended from the image of strewing straw.

litter (v.)

late 14c., "provide with bedding," from litter (n.). Meaning "bring forth, give birth to" (of animals or, contemptuously, of humans) is from late 15c. Meaning "to strew with objects" is from 1713. Transitive sense of "to scatter in a disorderly way" is from 1731. Related: Littered; littering.

littering (n.)

1540s, of animals, "process of bringing forth young in a single birth," verbal noun from present participle of litter (v.). Meaning "act of furnishing with bedding" is from c. 1600. That of "act of dropping disordered waste matter" is from 1900.

litterateur (n.)

"a literary man, one whose profession is literature," 1806, from French littérateur, from Latin litterator "a grammarian, philologist," from littera "letter; writing" (see letter (n.1)). Sometimes Englished as literator (1630s), but often with a deprecatory sense. O.W. Holmes used the French fem. form littératrice (1857).

litterbug (n.)

1947, from litter + bug (n.). According to Mario Pei ("The Story of Language," Lippincott, 1949) "coined by the New York subways on the analogy of 'jitterbug' ...."

littleness (n.)

Old English lytelnes; see little (adj.) + -ness.

little (n.)

late Old English, "small piece, small quantity or amount; a short time; unimportant persons," from little (adj.). Little by little is from late 15c. (litylle be litille). Old English had also lytling "little one, infant child; unimportant person."

little (adj.)

Old English lytel "not large, not much, small in size or number; short in distance or time; unimportant,"

from Proto-Germanic *lutilla- (source also of Old Saxon luttil, Dutch luttel, Old High German luzzil, German lützel "little"), perhaps originally a diminutive of the root of Old English lyt "little, few," from PIE *leud- "small."

"Often synonymous with small, but capable of emotional implications which small is not" [OED]. Now with less, least, but formerly and in dialect littler, littlest. In terms of endearment from 1560s. Meaning "younger" (of a brother, sister, etc.) is from 1610s. As an adverb, Old English lytel.

Little while "a short time" is from 12c. Phrase the little woman "wife" attested from 1795. Little people "the faeries" is from 1726; as "children" it is attested from 1752; as "ordinary people" (opposed to the great) from 1827. Little death "orgasm" (1932) translates French petite mort. Little Neck clams (1884) are so called for Little Neck, a "neck" of land on Long Island's North Shore, where they first came into favor. Little green men "space aliens" is from 1950. Little boys' room (or girls') as a euphemism for "lavatory" is from 1957. Little breeches for "boy" is by 1785. Little black dress is from 1939.

little (v.)

Old English lytlian "to lessen, decrease, become little or less, diminish; shorten; fall out of use; belittle," from root of little (adj.).

littlish (adj.)

1850, from little (adj.) + -ish.

littoral (adj.)

"pertaining to the seashore," 1650s, from Latin littoralis "of or belonging to the seashore," from litus (genitive litoris) "seashore, coast, seaside, beach, strand," from Proto-Italic *leitos, a word of unknown origin, possibly from PIE root *lei- "to flow" [Watkins], but de Vaan finds a better candidate in the PIE root *leit- (2) "to go forth" (see lead (v.1)), with sense evolution "the going away," hence "the edge."

The noun meaning "part of a country lying along the coast" is from 1828, from Italian littorale, originally an adjective, from Latin littoralis. Compare Lido.

liturgical (adj.)

"of or pertaining to a liturgy," in a wider sense, "pertaining to worship or religious ceremonies," 1640s, from Late Latin liturgicus, from New Testament Greek leitourgikos "ministering," from leitourgos (see liturgy).

liturgy (n.)

1550s, Liturgy, "the service of the Holy Eucharist," from French liturgie (16c.) or directly from Late Latin/Medieval Latin liturgia "public service, public worship," from Greek leitourgia "a liturgy; public duty, ministration, ministry," from leitourgos "one who performs a public ceremony or service, public servant," from leito- "public" (from laos "people;" compare leiton "public hall," leite "priestess;" see lay (adj.)) + -ourgos "that works," from ergon "work" (from PIE root *werg- "to do"). Meaning "collective formulas for the conduct of divine service in Christian churches" is from 1590s. Related: Liturgist; liturgics.

Litvak (n.)

"Jew from Lithuania," 1892, from Polish Litwak "Lithuanian Jew," originally simply "man from Lithuania," from Lithuanian Lietuva (see Lithuania).

livable (adj.)

also liveable, "suitable for living in," 1814 ("Mansfield Park"), from live (v.) + -able. Attested earlier in a now-obsolete sense "likely to survive" (1610s).

living (n.)

"living persons," late Old English; early 14c. as "the fact of dwelling in some place," verbal noun from live (v.). The meaning "manner of course or living" is mid-14c.; that of "action, process, or method of gaining one's livelihood" is attested from c. 1400.

live (adj.)

1540s, "having life, not dead," a shortening of alive (q.v.). From 1610s of fire, coal, etc., "burning, glowing;" 1640s of things, conditions, etc., "full of active power;" sense of "containing unspent energy or power" (live ammunition) is from 1799.

Meaning "in-person, not recorded" (of performance) is attested by 1917. Live wire is attested from 1890, "circuit through which an electric current is flowing;" figurative sense of "active person" is from 1903. Jocular real live "genuine" is from 1887. The older adjective is lively.

living (adj.)

c. 1200, "alive, not dead," also "residing, staying," present-participle adjective from live (v.)). Replaced Old English lifende "living, having life." Of water, "constantly flowing," late 14c., a biblical idiom. Of rock, stone, etc., "in its original state and place," from Latin use of vivus in reference to unwrought stone. Living dead was used from early 18c. in various figurative senses ("those who though dead live in their writings," etc.), from 1919 in reference to those who have died and been revived. From 1971 in reference to zombies, vampires, etc.

live (v.)

Middle English liven, from Old English lifian (Anglian), libban (West Saxon) "to be, be alive, have life; continue in life; to experience," also "to supply oneself with food, procure a means of subsistence; pass life in a specified fashion," from Proto-Germanic *libejanan (source also of Old Norse lifa "to be left; to live; to live on," of fire, "to burn;" Old Frisian libba, German leben, Gothic liban "to live"), from PIE root *leip- "to stick, adhere," forming words meaning "to remain, continue."

Meaning "to make a residence, dwell" is from c. 1200. Meaning "express in one's life" (live a lie) is from 1540s. Intensified sense "have life abundantly, make full use of life's opportunities" is from c. 1600. Related: Lived; living.

To live it up "live gaily and extravagantly" is from 1903. To live up to "act in accordance with, not live below the standard of" is 1690s, from earlier live up "live on a high (moral or mental) level" (1680s). To live (something) down "cause (something disreputable) to be forgotten by subsequent blameless course, live so as to disprove" is from 1842. To live with "cohabit as husband and wife" is attested from 1749; sense of "to put up with" is attested from 1937. Expression live and learn is attested from c. 1620.

lively (adj.)

Old English liflic "living, existing," literally "life-like;" from life + -ly (2). The main modern sense of "active, energetic" developed by early 13c., from notion "full of life." For "full of life, vigorous," Old English had liffæst. The adverb is Old English liflice "vitally," from the adjective. Related: Liveliness.

lived-in (adj.)

"inhabited, occupied" (sometimes with suggestion of "shabby, disorderly"), 1873, from verbal phrase; see live (v.) + in (adv.).

live-in (adj.)

"residing on the premises," 1950, from live (v.) + in (adv.). To live out was formerly "be away from home in domestic service."

livelihood (n.)

1610s, alteration of livelode "means of keeping alive" (c. 1300), from Old English liflad "course of life," from lif "life" (see life) + lad "way, course" (see load (n.)). Similar formation in Old High German libleita "provisions." Spelling assimilated to words in -hood. Earlier livelihood was a different word, meaning "liveliness," from lively.

livelily (adv.)

"in a lively way," 1550s, from lively + -ly (2).

livelong (adj.)

also live-long, of a period of time, "long, whole" c. 1400, lefe longe (day or night), from leve, lief "dear" (see lief), used here as an emotional intensive + long (adj.). From late 16c. conformed in spelling and pronunciation to live (v.) as lief grew strange. German has cognate die liebe lange (Nacht), etc., literally "the dear long (night)."

liven (v.)

"put life into," 1884, colloquial shortening of enliven (q.v.), usually with up (adv.). Related: Livened; livening.

live-oak (n.)

evergreen oak tree of the U.S. South, c. 1600, from live (adj.) + oak (n.).

liver (n.2)

"one who lives (in a particular way)," late 14c., agent noun from live (v.).

liver (n.1)

secreting organ of the body, Old English lifer, from Proto-Germanic *librn (source also of Old Norse lifr, Old Frisian livere, Middle Dutch levere, Dutch lever, Old High German lebara, German Leber "liver"), perhaps from PIE root *leip- "to stick, adhere," also used to form words for "fat."

Formerly believed to be the body's blood-producing organ; in medieval times it rivaled the heart as the supposed seat of love and passion. Hence lily-livered, a white (that is, bloodless) liver being supposed a sign of cowardice, Shakespeare's pigeon-livered, etc. Liver-spots, once thought to be caused by a dysfunction of the organ, is attested from 1730.

livery (n.)

c. 1300, "household allowance of any kind (food, provisions, clothing) to retainers or servants," from Anglo-French livere (late 13c.; Old French liveree, Modern French livrée), "allowance, ration, pay," originally "(clothes) delivered by a master to his retinue," from fem. past participle of livrer "to dispense, deliver, hand over," from Latin liberare "to set free" (see liberate).

The sense later was reduced to "servants' rations" and "provender for horses" (mid-15c.). The former led to the meaning "distinctive clothing given to servants" (early 14c.); the latter now is obsolete, unless livery stable (1705) survives. Related: Liveried.