Middle English word liken comes from Proto-Indo-European *leig-, Proto-Indo-European *leiĝ-, and later Proto-Germanic *līką (Body. Corpse, dead body.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *leig- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *leiĝ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *līką | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Body. Corpse, dead body. |
| *-līkaz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | -like, -ly. Forms adjectives from nouns and adjectives with the sense of 'similar to, characteristic of'. |
| *līkijaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To conform, to be of an agreeable kind. To please, to be pleasing (to +dative). |
| līcian | Old English (ang) | |
| lician | Old English (ang) | To like. To please; to conform to (someone's wishes). To suffice, be sufficient. |
| liken | Middle English (enm) |