Etymograph

English

likeness

Likeness comes from Old English līcness ‘the quality of being like or equal’, from Proto-West Germanic *galīk ‘alike, similar’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm ‘with, near, by, along’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱóm1‘with, near, by, along’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ga-2‘Indicates association or togetherness’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*galīkaz3‘alike, similar’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*galīk4‘alike, similar’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*galīkanassī5reconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150līcness5‘the quality of being like or equal’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500liknesse5
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1822likeness5

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Germanic *ga-
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Proto-Germanic *galīkaz
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Proto-West Germanic *galīk
  4. 4 Wiktionary, Proto-West Germanic *galīkanassī
  5. 5 Wiktionary, English likeness
  6. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1822, Ludwig Tieck: “Erich thought he observed a likeness between the stranger…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱómWiktionary, Proto-Germanic *ga-‘with, near, by, along’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ga-Wiktionary, Proto-Germanic *galīkaz‘Indicates association or togetherness’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*galīkazWiktionary, Proto-West Germanic *galīk‘alike, similar’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*galīkWiktionary, Proto-West Germanic *galīkanassī‘alike, similar’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*galīkanassīWiktionary, English likenessreconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150līcnessWiktionary, English likeness‘the quality of being like or equal’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500liknesseWiktionary, English likeness
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1822likenessWiktionary, English likeness. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1822, Ludwig Tieck: “Erich thought he observed a likeness between the stranger…”

Formed from like + -ness

Proto-Germanic *līką ‘body’

…

Proto-Germanic *līkāną ‘to conform’

Proto-West Germanic *līkēn ‘to be pleasing’

Old English līcian ‘to like’

Middle English liken ‘to be appealing or pleasant’

English like

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm ‘with, near, by, along’

among, consider, competition, conference, counter, concrete, consistent, con, comply, cum, commodity, cue, compulsory, hind, contra, compel, concierge, connotation, kata, condiment, condescend, 32 more

through Proto-Germanic *ga- ‘Indicates association or togetherness’

gain, limbed, 1 more

Today it means

noun The state or quality of being like or alike.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “likeness”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Germanic *ga-, Proto-Germanic *galīkaz, Proto-West Germanic *galīk, Proto-West Germanic *galīkanassī. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm / likeness

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