English
ligger
Ligger comes from Middle English liggere ‘a large breviary’, and goes back to leggen.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500leggen
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500liggere‘a large breviary’
- Englishearliest quotation 1984ligger
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500leggen
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500liggere‘a large breviary’
- Englishearliest quotation 1984ligger
Earliest quotation: 1984, Killed by Death: “I'm a lone wolf ligger, but I ain't no…”
Formed from lig + -er
Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie’
Proto-West Germanic *liggjan ‘to lie, rest’
Old English liċġan ‘to lie, be situated, be at rest, remain’
Middle English liggen
English lig
The story
Many senses (especially sense 5) are likely formed anew from lig rather than continuations of the preceding senses.
Linked words
through Middle English liggere ‘a large breviary’
Today it means
noun The horizontal timber of a scaffolding; a ledger.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English leggen / ligger