liege

See also liège, and Liège

English

Etymology

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 Germanic origin, akin to Old English læt (“servant”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːdʒ

Noun

liege (plural lieges)

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

Translations

A free and independent person; a lord paramount; a sovereign

• Catalan: senyor (ca) m
• Dutch: leenheer (nl) m, soeverein (nl) m
• Finnish: lääninherra
• French: suzerain (fr) m
• German: Lehnsherr (de) m

• Macedonian: властелин (mk) (vlástelin) m, феудалец (mk) (feudálec) m, земјопоседник (mk) (zemjopósednik) m
• Russian: сеньор (ru) (senjór) m
• Spanish: señor feudal (es)

The subject of a sovereign or lord; a liegeman

• Catalan: vassall (ca) m
• Dutch: vazal (nl) m, leenman (nl) m
• Finnish: vasalli (fi)
• German: Gefolgsmann m; Vasall m

• Macedonian: вазал (mk) (vázal) m
• Romanian: vasal (ro) m
• Spanish: vasallo (es)

Adjective

liege (not comparable)

1. Sovereign; independent; having authority or right to allegiance; as, a liege lord.
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; as, a liege man; a liege subject.
3. Full; perfect; complete; pure.

Translations

Sovereign; independent; having authority or right to allegiance

• French: lige (fr)

• Macedonian: властелински (mk) (vlastélinski) m

Serving an independent sovereign or master

• French: lige (fr)

• Macedonian: вазален (mk) (vázalen) m

Related terms

• liege lord
• liegeman

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Dutch

Verb

liege

1. singular present subjunctive of liegen

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German

Verb

liege

1. First-person singular indicative present form of liegen.
2. First-person singular subjunctive present form of liegen.
3. Third-person singular subjunctive present form of liegen.