Etymology

lich

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Today it means: A reanimated corpse or undead being; particularly an intelligent, undead spellcaster. Full definition →

First used 9th c.Middle English lich ← Old English līċ ← Proto-West Germanic *līk
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lich · noun1

  1. Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
  2. Proto-Germanic*līką
  3. Proto-West Germanic*līk
  4. Old Englishlīċ
  5. Middle Englishlich
  6. English todaylich

Inherited from Middle English lich, from Old English līċ, from Proto-West Germanic *līk, from Proto-Germanic *līką, from Proto-Indo-European *leyg-.

lich · adjective2

  1. Middle English · inherited fromlīke, līch“like”
  2. English todaylich

From Middle English līke, līch (“like”); see like and -like for more. Compare -ly and -lich.

Lich · proper noun3

From lich, the supernatural entity. From being a neutron star, a "dead" star, a star that no longer contains a fusion core, but which is radiating away its stored energy.

Lich · proper noun4

  1. German · borrowed fromLich
  2. English todayLich

Borrowed from German Lich.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 9th c. A corpse or dead body.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.