English word origin

Etymology of lier

From Middle English lier, equivalent to lie + -er. Compare ligger, lidger, ledger.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A person or thing that lies, in the sense of being horizontal. · A lie-abed; one who stays in bed late.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English lier, equivalent to lie + -er. Compare ligger, lidger, ledger.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionlierenm

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "lier"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English lier"
    },
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "lie",
        "3": "er"
      },
      "expansion": "lie + -er"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "lier",
      "lier#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "lie",
      "lie#English"
    ],
    [
      "-er",
      "-er#English"
    ],
    [
      "ligger",
      "ligger#English"
    ],
    [
      "lidger",
      "lidger#English"
    ],
    [
      "ledger",
      "ledger#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A person or thing that lies, in the sense of being horizontal.",
        "A lie-abed; one who stays in bed late."
      ],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Obsolete spelling of liar. · Misspelling of liar.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

See the main lemma.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Obsolete spelling of liar.",
        "Misspelling of liar."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "obsolete",
        "misspelling"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for lier →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bGllcg