lith
English
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /liθ/
Etymology 1
From Middle English lith, lyth, from Old English liþ (“limb, member, joint, tip of finger, point”), from Proto-Germanic *liþuz (“limb”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots lith (“part of the body, joint”), West Frisian lid (“part of the body, member”), Dutch lid (“limb, member, section”), Middle High German lit (“limb, member”), Swedish led (“joint, link, channel”), Icelandic liður (“item”), Dutch lid (“part of the body; member”) and gelid (“joint, rank, file”), German Glied (“limb, member, link”).
Alternative forms
- lythe (15th century)
Noun
lith (plural liths)
- (Britain dialectal) A limb; any member of the body.
- (Britain dialectal) A joint; a segment or symmetrical part or division.
- lith and limb; out of lith
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter xiij, in Le Morte Darthur, book III:
- he departed with the lady / & brouȝt her to Camelot / Soo as they rode in a valey it was ful of stones / and there the ladyes hors stumbled and threwe her doun that her arme was sore brysed and nere she swouned for payne / Allas syr sayd the lady myn arme is oute of lythe wher thorow I must nedes reste me
- (Scotland) A segment of an orange, or similar fruit.
Derived terms
Etymology 2
From Middle English lith, lyth (“owndom”), from Old Norse lýðr (“people, lede”), from Proto-Germanic *liudiz (“men, people”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- (“man, people”). Cognate with Dutch lieden and lui, German Leute (“people”), Old English lēode (“people”). More at lede.
Etymology 3
From *Middle English lith, from Old Norse hlið (“a gap, gate, space”), from Proto-Germanic *hliþą (“door, lid, eyelid”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to conceal, hide”). Cognate with dialectal Norwegian lid, led (“an opening in a fence”), Scots lith (“a gap in a fence, gate opening”), Old English hlid (“lid, covering, door, gate, opening”). More at lid.
Middle English
Etymology 1
From from Old English lēoht (“light, daylight; power of vision; luminary; world”), from Proto-Germanic *leuhtą (“light”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewktom, from the root *lewk- (“light”).
References
- “light (n.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-05.
Etymology 2
From Old English liþ (“limb, member, joint, point”).
References
- “lith (n.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-05.
Scots
Etymology
From Old English liþ, from Proto-Germanic *liþuz.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [lɪθ]
Noun
lith (plural liths)