English
illiberal
Illiberal comes from Latin illiberalis ‘ignoble, ungenerous, sordid, mean, disobliging’, from līberālis ‘freedom’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- ‘to grow’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁lewdʰ-‘to grow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁léwdʰeros‘free’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*louðeros‘free’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEloeber
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElīber
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElīberālis‘freedom’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEilliberalis‘ignoble, ungenerous, sordid, mean, disobliging’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600illibéral
- Englishearliest quotation 1781illiberal
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁lewdʰ-‘to grow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁léwdʰeros‘free’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*louðeros‘free’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEloeber
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElīber
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElīberālis‘freedom’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEilliberalis‘ignoble, ungenerous, sordid, mean, disobliging’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600illibéral
- Englishearliest quotation 1781illiberal
Earliest quotation: 1781, William Robertson: “Accordingly, that form of Popery, which prevailed in Scotland,…”
Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- ‘to grow’
…
Old Latin loeber
Latin līber ‘free’
Latin līberālis ‘befitting a freeman’
Old French liberal ‘appropriate for a free person’
English liberal
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- ‘to grow’
through Old Latin loeber
through Latin līber
format, library, liberty, libel, libre, liberate, liberator, liber, 11 more
through Latin līberālis ‘freedom’
Today it means
adj Restricting or failing to sufficiently promote individual choice and freedom.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- / illiberal