liege

See also: liège, Liege, and Liège

English

WOTD – 12 January 2016

Etymology

From Middle English liege, lege, lige, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Anglo-Norman lige, from Old French liege (“liege, free”), from Middle High German ledic, ledec (“free, empty, vacant”) (Modern German ledig (“unmarried”)) from Proto-Germanic *liþugaz (“flexible, free, unoccupied”). Akin to Old Frisian leþeg, leþoch (“free”), Old English liþiġ (“flexible”), Old Norse liðugr (“free, unhindered”), Old Saxon lethig (“idle”), Low German leddig (“empty”), Middle Dutch ledich (“idle, unemployed”) (Dutch ledig (“empty”) and leeg (“empty”)), Middle English lethi (“unoccupied, at leisure”).

An alternate etymology traces the Old French word from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Late Latin laeticus "of or relating to a semifree colonist in Gaul" from laetus "a semi-free colonist", of (deprecated template usage) [etyl]  origin, akin to Old English lǣt (“servant”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːdʒ, Rhymes: -iːʒ
• IPA^(key): /liːdʒ/, /liːʒ/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

Noun

liege (plural lieges)

1. A free and independent person; specifically, a lord paramount; a sovereign.
2. (in full liege lord) A king or lord.
   • 1595, William Shakespeare, Richard II, Act III Scene 2

     More health and happiness betide my liege / Than can my care-tuned tongue deliver him!

3. The subject of a sovereign or lord; a liegeman.

Translations

A free and independent person; a lord paramount; a sovereign

• Catalan: senyor (ca) m
• Dutch: leenheer (nl) m, soeverein (nl) m
• Finnish: lääninherra
• French: suzerain (fr) m
• German: Lehnsherr (de) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Macedonian: властелин m (vlastelin), феуда́лец m (feudálec), земјопоседник m (zemjoposednik)
• Portuguese: senhor feudal (pt) m, suserano (pt) m
• Russian: сеньо́р (ru) m (senʹór)
• Spanish: señor feudal

The subject of a sovereign or lord; a liegeman

• Catalan: vassall (ca) m
• Dutch: vazal (nl) m, leenman (nl) m
• Finnish: vasalli (fi)
• German: Gefolgsmann (de) m, Vasall (de) m
• Italian: vassallo (it) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Macedonian: вазал m (vazal)
• Portuguese: vassalo (pt) m
• Romanian: vasal (ro) m
• Spanish: vasallo (es)

Adjective

liege (not comparable)

1. Sovereign; independent; having authority or right to allegiance.

   a liege lord

   • 1847, Alfred Tennyson, The Princess

     She look'd as grand as doomsday and as grave: / And he, he reverenced his liege lady there;

2. Serving an independent sovereign or master; bound by a feudal tenure; obliged to be faithful and loyal to a superior, such as a vassal to his lord; faithful.

   a liege man; a liege subject

3. (obsolete, law) Full; perfect; complete; pure.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Burrill to this entry?)

Translations

Sovereign; independent; having authority or right to allegiance

• French: lige (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Macedonian: властелински m (vlastelinski)

Serving an independent sovereign or master

• French: lige (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Macedonian: вазален m (vazalen)

Related terms

• liege lord
• liegeman

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈli.ɣə/

Verb

liege

1. (deprecated template usage) (archaic) singular present subjunctive of liegen

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German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈliː.ɡə/

Verb

liege

1. first-person singular indicative present of liegen
2. first-person singular subjunctive present of liegen
3. third-person singular subjunctive present of liegen

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Middle English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late Latin leuca, leuga.

Noun

liege

1. Alternative form of lege (“league”)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman lige.

Noun

liege

1. Alternative form of lege (“liege”)

Adjective

liege

1. Alternative form of lege (adjective)

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Pennsylvania German

Etymology

Compare German lügen, Dutch liegen, English lie.

Verb

liege

1. to tell a lie