English
leviratical
Leviratical comes from Latin levir ‘a husband's brother, brother-in-law’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *dayh₂wḗr.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dayh₂wḗr‘one's brother-in-law’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElevir‘a husband's brother, brother-in-law’
- Englishearliest quotation 1855leviratical
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dayh₂wḗr‘one's brother-in-law’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElevir‘a husband's brother, brother-in-law’
- Englishearliest quotation 1855leviratical
Earliest quotation: 1855, Henry Alford: “The first-born son of a leviratical marriage was reckoned…”
Formed from levirate + -ical
Proto-Indo-European *dayh₂wḗr ‘one's brother-in-law’
Latin lēvir ‘husband's brother, brother-in-law’
English levirate
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *dayh₂wḗr
Today it means
adj Of, relating to, or in accordance with levirate marriage.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dayh₂wḗr / leviratical