Livery
/ˈlɪv.ər.i/noun
A distinctive uniform, badge, or set of colors worn by servants, officials, or members of an organization.
Did you know?In medieval England, a lord’s livery was literally a “delivering” of clothes or provisions to retainers, and the same root gave us the legal idea of being “delivered” into someone’s keeping.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leip-
“to stick, adhere”
Latin
Latin
līberāre
“to free, release”
Old French
Old French
livrée
“something delivered; a supply of clothing or provisions given to servants”
Middle English
English
liverey
“a servant’s costume or a lord’s allowance of clothing”
Modern English
English
livery
“a distinctive uniform or badge worn to identify a group or service”
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