An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/-lich

by Friedrich Kluge

-lich, adj. suffix, from MidHG. -lī̆ch, -lîch (the short vowel on account of its position in an unaccented syllable), OHG. -lîch; corresponding to Goth. -leiks, AS. -lîc, E. -ly. Orig. identical with the OTeut. lîka-, ‘body,’ discussed under Leichnam and gleich; Goth. waíraleiks, ‘male,’ lit. ‘having a male body.’ In this manner -lîka is used in all the dials. as an adj. suffix. In some pronominal forms (solcher and welcher) the old -lîk represents a suffix corresponding to Gr. -λίκος in τηλίκος, πηλίκος. See gleich and männiglich.