Etymograph

English

litre

Litre comes from Ancient Greek λίτρα ‘a Sicilian coin, a measure of weight’, from Proto-Italic *līðrā ‘ingot’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leyH- ‘to pour’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyH-1‘to pour’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*līðrā2‘ingot’reconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλίτρα3lítra‘a Sicilian coin, a measure of weight’
  4. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500litra3
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentlitre3
  6. Englishtodaylitre3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Italic *līðrā
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek λίτρα
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English litre

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyH-Wiktionary, Proto-Italic *līðrā‘to pour’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*līðrāWiktionary, Ancient Greek λίτρα‘ingot’reconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλίτραWiktionary, English litrelítra‘a Sicilian coin, a measure of weight’
  4. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500litraWiktionary, English litre
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentlitreWiktionary, English litre
  6. EnglishtodaylitreWiktionary, English litre

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *līðrā ‘ingot’

level, deliberate, equilibrium, deliberation, lira, libra, deliberative, 18 more

through Ancient Greek λίτρα ‘a Sicilian coin, a measure of weight’

rattle, 9 more

Another origin of litre

  1. Spanishc. 1500–presentlitre‘Lithraea caustica, a Chilean tree or bush’
  2. Englishtodaylitre

Today it means

noun The metric unit of fluid measure, equal to one cubic decimetre. Symbol: L, l, or ℓ.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “litre”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Italic *līðrā, Ancient Greek λίτρα. 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 *leyH- / litre

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