Litch
/lɪtʃ/noun
An archaic or dialectal word for a corpse, also a variant spelling of “lich.”
Did you know?The related word “lychgate” literally refers to a corpse-gate: a covered entrance where a body traditionally awaited burial rites.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leykw-
“to leave or abandon; a proposed ancient root behind the idea of something left behind”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*laiką / *līką
“a body or corpse”
Old English
Old English
līċ
“a body, corpse, or physical form”
Middle English
Middle English
lich / litch
“a corpse; the spelling varied regionally”
14th–15th Century
English
lych
“a corpse, especially in churchyard and burial vocabulary”
Modern English
English
litch
“An archaic or dialectal variant of “lich,” chiefly encountered in historical or funerary contexts”
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