Liege
Middle English: via Old French lige, liege from medieval Latin laeticus, probably of Germanic origin.
wiktionary
From Middle English liege, lege, lige, from Anglo-Norman lige, from Old French liege(“liege, free”), from Middle High German ledic, ledec(“free, empty, vacant”) (Modern German ledig(“unmarried”)) from Proto-Germanic *liþugaz(“flexible, free, unoccupied”).
Akin to Old Frisian leþeg, leþoch(“free”), Old English liþiġ(“flexible”), Old Norse liðugr(“free, unhindered”), Old Saxon lethig(“idle”), Low German leddig(“empty”), Middle Dutch ledich(“idle, unemployed”) (Dutch ledig(“empty”) and leeg(“empty”)), Middle English lethi(“unoccupied, at leisure”).
An alternate etymology traces the Old French word to Late Latin laeticus(“of or relating to a semifree colonist in Gaul”), from Latin laetus(“a semi-free colonist”), from Gothic *𐌻𐌴𐍄𐍃( *lēts) (attested in derivatives such as 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌻𐌴𐍄𐍃( fralēts)), from Proto-Germanic *lētaz(“freeman; bondsman, serf”), from *lētaną(“to let; free; release”).
etymonline
liege (adj.)
c. 1300, of lords, "entitled to feudal allegiance and service," from Anglo-French lige (late 13c.), Old French lige "liege-lord," noun use of an adjective meaning "free, giving or receiving fidelity" (corresponding to Medieval Latin ligius, legius), a word of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Late Latin laeticus "cultivated by serfs," from laetus "serf, semi-free colonist," which probably is from Proto-Germanic *lethigaz "freed" (source also of Old English læt "half-freedman, serf;" Old High German laz, Old Frisian lethar "freedman;" Middle Dutch ledich "idle, unemployed"), from extended form of PIE root *lē- "to let go, slacken." Or the Middle English word might be directly from Old High German leidig "free," on the notion of "free from obligation to service except as vassal to one lord," but this reverses the notion contained in the word.
From late 14c. of vassals, "bound to render feudal allegiance and service." The dual sense of the adjective reflects the reciprocal relationship it describes: protection in exchange for service. Hence, liege-man "a vassal sworn to the service and support of a lord, who in turn is obliged to protect him" (mid-14c.).
liege (n.)
late 14c., "vassal of a feudal lord," also "a feudal sovereign, a liege-lord," probably from liege (adj.)) or from a noun use of the adjective in Old French or Anglo-French. A fully reciprocal relationship, so the adjective could apply to either party. Old French distinguished them as lige seignur "liege-lord" and home lige "liege-man."
