Etymograph

English

relief

Relief comes from Old French relief ‘assistance’, from relever ‘to relieve’, from Latin relevō ‘to raise up, lighten’, from levis ‘light’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElevis‘light, not heavy’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElevō‘to lift, raise; to lighten’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErelevōas relevare‘to raise up’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400relever‘to relieve’
  5. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400relief‘assistance’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1897same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElevis‘light, not heavy’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElevō‘to lift, raise; to lighten’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErelevōas relevare‘to raise up’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400relever‘to relieve’
  5. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400relief‘assistance’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1897same form

Earliest quotation: 1897, Winston Churchill: “Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he…”

Linked words

through Latin levō

elevator, elevation, lever, elevate, leaven, 22 more

through Latin relevo ‘to raise up, make light’

relevant, 5 more

Another origin of relief

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElevō
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErelevō‘to raise’
  3. Italianc. 1300–presentrilevare‘to raise’
  4. Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentrilievo‘relief (etymology 2)’
  5. Englishtodayrelief

Today it means

noun The removal of stress or discomfort.

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

Etymograph / Latin levis / relief

Shirt and support for this word