English
loyalty
Loyalty comes from Old French loialte, from loial ‘loyal’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *lēks ‘law’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*lēks‘law’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElex‘the legal machinery of a state, the law’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElēgālis‘legal’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400loial‘loyal’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400loialte
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 2007loyalty
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*lēks‘law’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElex‘the legal machinery of a state, the law’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElēgālis‘legal’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400loial‘loyal’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400loialte
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 2007loyalty
Earliest quotation: 2007, Michael P. Knowles: “Over the violence and the proud loyalties, over the…”
Formed from loyal + -ty
Proto-Italic *lēks ‘law’
Latin lex ‘the legal machinery of a state, the law’
Latin lēgālis ‘legal’
Old French loial
Middle French loyal
English loyal
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie’
law, low, lie, lawyer, fellow, layer, log, litter, ledger, ledge, lawless, lair, lees, leaguer, lig, underlay, lagan, lias, 19 more
through Proto-Italic *lēks ‘law’
through Latin lex ‘the legal machinery of a state, the law’
college, lay, illegal, legacy, colleague, delegation, delegate, lex, collegiate, legate, collegium, 9 more
through Latin lēgālis ‘legal’
Today it means
noun The state of being loyal; fidelity.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *lēks / loyalty