lecherous

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*leyǵʰ-“to lick”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*likkōną“to lick”
3. Frankish · derived from*lekkōn, *likkōn“to lick”
4. Old French · derived fromlecher
5. Old French · derived fromlecherie
6. Old French · derived from*lecherous
7. Middle English · inherited fromlecherous
8. English todaylecherous

From Middle English lecherous, licherous, from Old French *lecherous (attested in Old French lecherousement (“lecherously”)), from Old French lecherie, licherie (“gluttony, sensuality, lewdness, lechery”), from Old French lecher, lechier, lekier, lescher (“to lick, live in gluttony or sensuality”), from Old Frankish *lekkōn, *likkōn (“to lick”), from Proto-Germanic *likkōną (“to lick”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵʰ- (“to lick”), equivalent to lecher + -ous. More at lick.

Words from the same roots