Etymology

Always derived from ON, cp. OIcel litr 'colour, hue, countenance, complexion' (u-stem) < PGmc *wlit- (cp. Go wlits 'face, appearance', OE wlite 'brightness, appearance, form, aspect, look, countenance', OFris wlite 'face, appearance', OS wliti 'image, appearance'). The ON loss of initial /w/ before /l/ is a secure test of loan.

PGmc Ancestor

*wlit-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

litr 'colour, hue, countenance, complexion'
(ONP litr)

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far litur, Icel litur, Norw lit, let, ODan lit, lyt, Dan lød, OSw liter, Sw dial lit, let

OE Cognate

wlite 'brightness, appearance, form, aspect, look, countenance'

Phonological and morphological markers

ON loss of initial */w/ before /l/

Summary category

A1*

Attestation

MED's handful of attestations are widespread and begin with a1150(c1125) Vsp.D.Hom.Elucid.(Vsp D.14).

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

WA 4336

Bibliography

MED , OED , HTOED , de Vries litr (1), Mag. litur (1), Orel *wlitiz