English
leisure
Leisure comes from Old French loisir ‘to enjoy oneself’, and goes back to Latin licet ‘be permitted’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElicetas licēre‘be permitted’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400loisir‘to enjoy oneself’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400leisir
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500leyser
- Englishearliest quotation 1672leisure
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElicetas licēre‘be permitted’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400loisir‘to enjoy oneself’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400leisir
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500leyser
- Englishearliest quotation 1672leisure
Earliest quotation: 1672, William Temple: “The desire of leisure is much more natural than…”
Linked words
through Latin licet ‘be permitted’
Today it means
noun Freedom provided by the cessation of activities.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin licet / leisure