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English word origin

Etymology of lilt

From Middle English lilten, lulten.

1 source sectionBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

An animated, brisk motion; a spirited rhythm; sprightliness. · A lively song or dance; a cheerful tune. · A cheerful or melodious accent or style in speaking.

verb

To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music. · To sing cheerfully, especially in Gaelic. · To utter with spirit, animation, or gaiety; to sing with spirit and liveliness.

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

From Middle English lilten, lulten.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionliltenenm
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "lilten"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English lilten"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "lilten",
      "lilten#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "lulten",
      "lulten#Middle_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "An animated, brisk motion; a spirited rhythm; sprightliness.",
        "A lively song or dance; a cheerful tune.",
        "A cheerful or melodious accent or style in speaking."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 231110
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.",
        "To sing cheerfully, especially in Gaelic.",
        "To utter with spirit, animation, or gaiety; to sing with spirit and liveliness."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "47456f2e1bdcb60e368fdd444e67283cee605d1b7358c7cbd6c81445a58526d9",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 231109
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

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 lilt →

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-bGlsdA