Etymo

lieutenant

An officer or a person acting as another’s deputy.

Played on · Day 69 · word 4 of 5

Someone holding the place

How lieutenant reached English

oldest first
  • liu, lieu‘place’
  • tenant‘holding’

combined

  1. Anglo-French

    lieu tenant

    ‘substitute, deputy’

    into Middle English

  2. Middle English

    lieutenant

    ‘one who takes the place of another’

    became English

  3. English

    lieutenant

The story of lieutenant

The Anglo-French phrase lieu tenant lies behind the English title. Tenant comes from tenir, to hold, ultimately Latin tenēre.

Sources

Also built on Anglo-French lieu

  • lieutenant, this word
  • milieu

Lieu also survives in the English expression in lieu of.

More words from 13 November 2026

  1. twillA fabric with a diagonal-rib weave.
  2. sullenGloomy, resentful or unwilling to communicate.
  3. colonelA senior military officer.

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