Etymograph

English

ledger

Ledger comes from Middle English liggere ‘large breviary’, from Old English liċġan ‘to lie down’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*legʰ-‘to lie down’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*liggjanreconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150liċġan‘to lie down’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500liggere‘large breviary’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1675ledger

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*legʰ-‘to lie down’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*liggjanreconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150liċġan‘to lie down’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500liggere‘large breviary’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1675ledger

Earliest quotation: 1675, Stephen Monteage, How to Begin a New Leidger Dependant on the Ballance of the : “The firſt Leidger, or Leidger Nº A. being thus…”

The story

The word is cognate with Saterland Frisian Lägger (‘floor board, joist, plank’), West Frisian lêger (‘beam, plank’), Dutch legger (‘daybook; layer’) (from leggen (‘to lay’), liggen (‘to lie down’)), and is related to English ledge, lie (‘to be prostrate’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie down’

law, low, college, legal, fellow, lay, lawyer, log, loyal, layer, legacy, colleague, delegation, delegate, litter, collegiate, lair, lex, lawless, lees, legate, lagan, lias, collegium, underlay, leal, leaguer, 23 more

through Old English liċġan ‘to lie down’

lie, lig

Today it means

noun A book for keeping notes; a record book, a register.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- / ledger

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