Etymograph

English

lidden

Lidden comes from Middle English leden ‘Latin (language)’, from Old English lēod ‘people’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- ‘to grow (up)’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁lewdʰ-‘to grow (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁léwdʰis‘people’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*liudiz‘man, person’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*liudi‘man, person’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150lēod‘people’
  6. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150lēoden‘speech, language’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500leden‘Latin (language)’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1905lidden

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁lewdʰ-‘to grow (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁léwdʰis‘people’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*liudiz‘man, person’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*liudi‘man, person’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150lēod‘people’
  6. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150lēoden‘speech, language’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500leden‘Latin (language)’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1905lidden

Earliest quotation: 1905, Arthur Quiller-Couch, Frenchman's Creek: “She kept up this lidden all through breakfast, and…”

The story

Alternative etymology derives lidden from Old English hlȳd, hlȳden (‘sound, noise, clamour, din’) or Old Norse hljóð (‘sound, clap, roar, ringing, tone, tune’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- ‘to grow (up)’

liberal, liberty, liberation, liberate, liberator, libre, libertine, libero, 12 more

through Middle English leden ‘Latin (language)’

lead, leed, 2 more

Today it means

noun A noise or din.

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

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

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