lithe

Meanings

Verb

• To go.
• To become calm.
• To make soft or mild; soften; alleviate; mitigate; lessen; smooth; palliate.
• To attend; listen, hearken.
• To listen to, hearken to.

Adjective

• Mild; calm.
• Slim but not skinny.
• Capable of being easily bent; flexible.
• Adaptable.

Noun

• Shelter.

Origin

• From Middle English lithen, from Old English līþan, from Proto-Germanic *līþaną, from Proto-Indo-European *leyt- ("to go, depart, die"). Cognate with North Frisian lyen, lije, Dutch lijden ("to suffer, dree, abide"), German leiden ("to suffer, brook, permit"). See also lode, lead.
• From Middle English lithe, from Old English līþe ("gentle, mild"), from Proto-West Germanic *linþ(ī), from Proto-Germanic *linþaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lentos. Akin to Saterland Frisian lied ("thin, skinny, gaunt"), Danish and archaic German lind. Not attested in Gothic. Some sources also list Latin lenis and/or Latin lentus as possible cognates.
• From Middle English lithen, from Old English līþian, līþiġian, from Proto-Germanic *linþijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *lento-. Cognate with German lindern ("to alleviate, ease, relieve").
• From Middle English lithen, from Old Norse hlýða ("to listen"), from Proto-Germanic *hliuþijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlewe-. Cognate with Danish lytte ("to listen"). Related to Old English hlēoþor ("noise, sound, voice, song, hearing"), Old English hlūd ("loud, noisy, sounding, sonorous"). More at loud.
• Origin uncertain; perhaps an alteration of lewth.