liege

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English liege, lege, lige, from 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 to Late Latin laeticus (“of or relating to a semifree colonist in Gaul”), from Latin laetus (“a semi-free colonist”), from Gothic *𐌻𐌴𐍄𐍃 (*lēts) (attested in derivatives such as 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌻𐌴𐍄𐍃 (fralēts)), from Proto-Germanic *lētaz (“freeman; bondsman, serf”), from *lētaną (“to let; free; release”). === Pronunciation === (UK, General American) IPA(key): /liːd͡ʒ/, /liːʒ/ Rhymes: -iːdʒ, -iːʒ === Noun === liege (plural lieges) A free and independent person; specifically, a lord paramount; a sovereign. (in full liege lord) A king or lord. The subject of a sovereign or lord; a liegeman. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === liege (not comparable) Sovereign; independent; having authority or right to allegiance. 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. (obsolete, law) Full; perfect; complete; pure. ==== Translations ==== === Related terms === liege lord liegeman == Dutch == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈli.ɣə/ === Verb === liege (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of liegen == German == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈliː.ɡə/ === Verb === liege inflection of liegen: first-person singular present first/third-person singular subjunctive I == Middle English == === Etymology 1 === Borrowed from Late Latin leuca, leuga. ==== Noun ==== liege alternative form of lege (“league”) === Etymology 2 === Borrowed from Anglo-Norman lige. ==== Noun ==== liege alternative form of lege (“liege”) ==== Adjective ==== liege alternative form of lege (adjective) == Middle High German == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (before 13th CE) /ˈliə̯ɡə/ === Verb === liege first/third-person singular present subjunctive of liegen == Old English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈli͜yː.je/ === Noun === līeġe dative singular of līeġ == Pennsylvania German == === Etymology === From Middle High German liegen, from Old High German liogan, from Proto-West Germanic *leugan. Compare German lügen, Dutch liegen, English lie. === Verb === liege to tell a lie