loyal English · revision 6880

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1531|origins=la lex}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈlɔɪəl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|frm|loyal|t=faithful]], from Old French loial, leial, leal,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from [[la|lēgālis|t=legal, of the law]], from [[m|la|lex|t=law]] (genitive lēgis).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) It is a doublet of [[legal]], which keeps the Latin form.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) It replaced Middle English lel, later [[leal]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Faithful in allegiance to a ruler or government: 1531, in Elyot's ''The Boke Named the Governour'';^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) the 1530s in Etymonline.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old French leal meant of good quality, faithful, honourable, law-abiding and born in wedlock.^(Etymonline) Faithful to duty or love generally is from 1604,^(OED 1989) and of things and actions, showing loyalty, from 1598.^(OED 1989) Of money, genuine or legally current, is a 17th-century sense (1605).^(OED 1989) In Weardale dialect, loyal meant free in giving.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1531 – faithful to the sovereign.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1598 – of actions, showing loyalty.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1604 – faithful to obligations.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1605 – of money, genuine (obsolete).^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Steadfast in [[allegiance]] to a person, group or cause; [[faithful]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Faithful to a government or sovereign.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Showing loyalty: ''loyal service''.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A loyal person, especially a supporter of the government.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[loyally]]

+ * [[loyalness]]

+ * [[nonloyal]]

+ * [[overloyal]]

+ * [[superloyal]]

+ * [[unloyal]]

+ * [[loyalist]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[loyalty]]

+ * [[legal]]

+ * [[leal]]

+ * [[law]]

+ * [[royal]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}