An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/liederlich

by Friedrich Kluge

liederlich, adj., ‘dissolute,’ from MidHG. liederlich, adj., ‘light, pretty, trifling, frivolous’ (not recorded in OHG.). AS. lŷþre, adj., ‘miserable, bad,’ points to *liuþrs. To this is doubtlessly allied lotter- in compounds pointing to a Goth. *ludrs. Probably Gr. ἐλεύθερος, ‘free,’ like the Teut. words, may be traced to a root leuth. Lüderlich for liederlich is a recent form of the adj. connecting it with Luder (MidHG. luoder).