Lige
/liːdʒ/noun
An obsolete or Middle English form of “liege,” meaning bound by feudal allegiance or possessing sovereign authority.
Did you know?“Lige” belongs to the medieval vocabulary of feudal allegiance, where a person’s spoken loyalty could define their legal identity, obligations, and protection.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic period
Germanic
*laþīgaz
“Possibly “free” or “released”; the proposed Germanic source is uncertain.”
12th Century
Old French
lige
“Free, independent, or possessing full authority; later associated with feudal superiority.”
13th Century
Anglo-Norman
lige
“Bound by a special or primary feudal allegiance, especially to a lord or sovereign.”
14th Century
Middle English
lige
“A spelling variant of “liege,” referring to a feudal lord or a subject owing allegiance.”
15th–16th Centuries
English
liege
“A sovereign lord, or a subject bound by allegiance; the spelling “lige” becomes obsolete.”
Modern English
English
liege
“A sovereign or feudal superior, chiefly in historical or literary contexts.”
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