liederlich
German
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle High German liederlich (“frivolous”, originally "slack, weak"), which Kluge compares to Ancient Greek ἐλεύθερος (eleútheros, “free”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- (“to grow”)).[1] Pokorny prefers a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lew- (“slack; loose; limp”), see also Old Norse slokna (“to go out”).[2]
Compare Old Norse loddari (“juggler; tramp”), Old High German lotar (“vain; void; insignificant”), Dutch lodder (“a wanton”), Old English loddere (“pauper, beggar”) and English lither. See also lotterig (“slovenly”) and lottern (“lead a slovenly life”)[3]. Not related to Luder.
Pronunciation
Adjective
liederlich (strong nominative masculine singular liederlicher, comparative liederlicher, superlative am liederlichsten)
Declension
Positive forms of liederlich
Comparative forms of liederlich
Superlative forms of liederlich
Descendants
- → Danish: liderlig
- → Dutch: liederlijk
- → Afrikaans: liederlik
- → Swedish: liderlig
- → Estonian: liiderlik
See also
References
- ^ Friedrich Kluge (1883), “liederlich”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891
- ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), “(s)leu-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, pages 962-63
- ^ Kluge, Friedrich (1989), “liederlich”, in Elmar Seebold, editor, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the German Language] (in German), 22nd edition, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 442
Further reading
- “liederlich” in Duden online
- “liederlich”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache[1] (in German)
- “liederlich” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.