Etymograph

English

liberality

Liberality comes from Latin līberālitās ‘a noble, kind, or friendly disposition’, from līberālis ‘generous, liberal, bountiful, ample’, 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
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElīberālis‘generous, liberal, bountiful, ample’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElīberālitās‘a noble, kind, or friendly disposition’
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400liberalité
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500liberalite
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1668liberality

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
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElīberālis‘generous, liberal, bountiful, ample’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElīberālitās‘a noble, kind, or friendly disposition’
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400liberalité
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500liberalite
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1668liberality

Earliest quotation: 1668, John Denham: “That liberality is but cast away / Which makes…”

Formed from liberal + -ity

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’

liberation, leed, 16 more

through Latin līber

format, library, libel, libre, libertine, 14 more

through Latin līberālis ‘generous, liberal, bountiful, ample’

illiberal, 2 more

Today it means

noun The property of being liberal; generosity; charity.

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

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

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