English
lieu
Lieu comes from Middle French lieu ‘place’, and goes back to Old Latin stlocus.
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEstlocus
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElocus‘place’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElocumaccusative of locus
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400leu
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600lieu‘place’
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEstlocus
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElocus‘place’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElocumaccusative of locus
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400leu
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600lieu‘place’
- Englishtodaysame form
The story
Attested earlier and in Middle English only as part of the partially calqued phrase in lieu of.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *stel- ‘to put, to place’
stole, install, stall, stool, apostle, stalk, stale, epistle, stele, apostolate, stela, stell, stolid, 26 more
through Old Latin stlocus
allowance, locality, allocate, locale, collocation, 10 more
through Latin locus ‘place’
local, allow, location, locate, loco, locus, locator, locative, 15 more
through Old French leu
Today it means
noun A place or stead.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old Latin stlocus / lieu