Etymograph

English

liberal

Liberal comes from Old French liberal ‘appropriate for a free person’, from Latin līberālis ‘befitting a freeman’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- ‘to grow’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁lewdʰ-‘to grow’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁léwdʰeros‘free’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*louðeros‘free’reconstructed
  4. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEloeber
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElīber‘free’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElīberālis‘befitting a freeman’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400liberal‘appropriate for a free person’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1598–1599liberal

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁lewdʰ-‘to grow’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁léwdʰeros‘free’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*louðeros‘free’reconstructed
  4. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEloeber
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElīber‘free’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElīberālis‘befitting a freeman’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400liberal‘appropriate for a free person’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1598–1599liberal

Earliest quotation: 1598–1599, Much Adoe about Nothing: “Myself, my brother, and this grieved count, Did see…”

first attested The noun is first attested in the 1800s (as stated in the etymology)

The story

The adjective is from Old French liberal, from Latin līberālis (‘befitting a freeman’), from līber (‘free’); it is attested since the 14th century.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- ‘to grow’

leed, 19 more

through Latin līber ‘free’

format, library, libel, libre, 16 more

Today it means

adj Generous; permitting liberty; willing to give unsparingly.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- / liberal

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