Liege

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːdÊ’, Rhymes: -iːʒ

Origin

Middle English lege, lige, liege, from Anglo-Norman lige, from Old French liege ("liege, free"), from Middle High German ledic, ledec ("free, empty, vacant") (Modern German ledig ("unmarried")) from Proto-Germanic *liþugaz ("flexible, free, unoccupied"). Akin to Old Frisian leþeg, leþoch ("free"), Old English liþiġ ("flexible"), Old Norse liðugr ("free, unhindered"), Middle Dutch ledich ("idle, unemployed") (Dutch ledig ("empty") and leeg ("empty")), Middle English lethi ("unoccupied, at leisure").

An alternate etymology traces the Old French word from Late Latin laeticus "of or relating to a semifree colonist in Gaul" from laetus "a semi-free colonist", of origin, akin to Old English læt ("servant").

Full definition of liege

Noun

1. A free and independent person; specifically, a lord paramount; a sovereign.
2. The subject of a sovereign or lord; a liegeman.

Adjective

1. Sovereign; independent; having authority or right to allegiance.a liege lord
• TennysonShe looked as grand as doomsday and as grave;
  And he, he reverenced his liege lady there.
2. Serving an independent sovereign or master; bound by a feudal tenure; obliged to be faithful and loyal to a superior, as a vassal to his lord; faithful; loyal.a liege man; a liege subject
3. (obsolete, legal) Full; perfect; complete; pure.

Related terms

• liege lord
• liegeman