liver

liver · noun, adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ley-“to be slimy, be sticky, glide”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*leyp-“to smear, smudge, stick”
3. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*librō
4. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*libru
5. Old English · inherited fromlifer“liver”
6. Middle English · inherited fromlyvere
7. English todayliver

From Middle English lyvere, lyver, from Old English lifer (“liver”), from Proto-West Germanic *libru, from Proto-Germanic *librō, from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to smear, smudge, stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *ley- (“to be slimy, be sticky, glide”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Líeuwer, Lieuwer (“liver”),German Leber (“liver”), Danish, Dutch, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish, and West Frisian lever (“liver”), Faroese livur (“liver”), Icelandic lifur (“liver”). Related to live.

liver · noun²

1. Middle English · inherited fromlyvere
2. English todayliver

From Middle English lyvere, livere, equivalent to live + -er.

liver · adjective³

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂en-
2. Proto-Germanic*an
3. Proto-West Germanic*ana
4. Old Englishon
5. Proto-Indo-European*leyp-
6. Proto-Germanic*lībaną
7. Proto-Germanic*lībą
8. Proto-West Germanic*līb
9. Old Englishlīf
10. Old Englishlīfe
11. Old Englishon līfe
12. Middle Englishalyve
13. Englishaliveclip.
14. Englishlive
15. English todayliver

From live (adjective) + -(e)r.

Liver · adjective⁴

Back-formation from Liverpool, possibly influenced by liver bird.

Words from the same roots