lieutenant (English)
Where does "lieutenant" come from?
The English word 'lieutenant' comes from Middle English 'lieutenant'[1]. This term traces back to the Anglo-Norman 'lieutenant', which was formed by combining the Old French 'lieu' meaning 'place'[1] with 'tenant' meaning 'holder'[1]. The latter component originates from the Old French verb 'tenir' to hold or possess[2], which corresponds to the Latin 'tenens'[2]. Ultimately, a 'lieutenant' is someone who holds a place for another, serving as a deputy[1]. This word shares an etymological history with the Latin phrase 'locum tenens'[1].
Full etymology tree
- lieutenant (English), 'A military grade that is junior to the grade the adjective modifies: lieutenant colonel, lieutenant general, lieutenant commander.'
- inherited lieutenant (Middle English)
- borrowed lieutenant (Anglo-Norman)
- compound lieu (Old French)
- inherited locus (Latin), 'place, spot (a specific location)'
- compound tenant (Old French), 'holder'
- derived tenir (Old French), 'to possess; to have'
- inherited tenens (Latin), 'holding, having'
- derived tenir (Old French), 'to possess; to have'
- compound lieu (Old French)
- borrowed lieutenant (Anglo-Norman)
- inherited lieutenant (Middle English)
Ancestors
- *ten- (Proto-Indo-European)
Cognates and doublets
- locum tenens (English)
Sources
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris