Lich

Obs. exc. arch. and in Comb. Forms: α. 1–2 líc, 4–5 liche, lyche, 6 lytche, 7, 9 litch, 3–7, 9 lich, lych; in comb. 5 lege-, 6–9 leech-, 9 leach- (see also LICH-GATE, LICH-OWL). Pl. 1 líc, 3, 5 liches. β. 2–5 lik(e, (4 lijk), 7, 9 like, lyke. Pl. 9 likes. [OE. líc str. neut. = OFris. lîk, OS. líc (LG. liche, like, Du. lijk), OHG. líh neut. and fem. (MHG. lîch fem., also weak lîche, G. leiche dead body), ON. lík (Sw. lik, Da. lig), Goth. leik:—OTeut. *lîko^m neut. Comparison with the cognate words (see LICHE, LIKE a., LIKE v.) suggests that the original sense was prob. ‘form, shape.’

  The OE. líc became by normal development lich(e in the south and like in the north; hence the diversity of forms above. Cf. ditch, dike.]

  1.  = BODY. a. The living body. Also the trunk, as opposed to the limbs.

Beowulf, 733. Þæt he ʓedælde … anra ʓehwylces lif wið lice.

a. 900.  Cynewulf, Crist, 1326. Þendan þu somod lic & sawle lifʓan mote.

c. 1205.  Lay., 17694. For an his bare liche he weorede ane burne.

a. 1225.  Juliana, 16. He het … beten hire swa luðere þat hire leofliche lich liðeri al oblode.

a. 1275.  Prov. Ælfred, 471, in O. E. Misc., 131. So deð þe salit on fles, suket þuru is liche.

c. 1300.  Beket, 259. The here he dude next his liche his fleisches maister to beo.

1340–70.  Alisaunder, 195. Liliwhite was hur liche.

1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. XI. 2. A wyf … Þat lene was of lich and of louh chere.

a. 1400–50.  Alexander, 2931. Þe litillaike of his like lathely þat þai spyse. Ibid., 141. He … him … clethis All his liche in lyn claþe.

  b.  A dead body; a corpse.

Beowulf, 2127. Hio þæt lic ætbær feondes fæðmum under firʓenstream.

c. 893.  K. Ælfred, Oros., I. i. § 23. Ealle þa hwile þe þæt lic bið inne, þær sceal beon ʓedrync & pleʓa.

1154.  O. E. Chron., an. 1135 (Laud MS.). Þa namen his sune & his frend & brohten his lic to Engle lande.

c. 1205.  Lay., 3862. Heo nomen Morganus liche & leide hit on vrþen.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 2447. Egipte folc … first .ix. niȝt ðe liches beðen.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 19785. Tilward þat like he turnd his face.

a. 1300[?].  XI Pains Hell, 78, in O. E. Misc., 149. A water … þat … stynkeþ so for holde lych.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 302/2. Lyche, dede body.

c. 1470.  Henry, Wallace, II. 332. Quha aw this lik he bad hir nocht deny.

1806.  Sir Oluf, in Jamieson, Ballads, I. 222. Three likes were ta’en frae the castle away.

1895.  Baring-Gould, in Minster Mag., 239. ‘Thomas maketh a beautiful lych, that her do.’

  2.  Comb.: † lich-bell, ? a hand-bell rung before a corpse; † lich-fowl = LICH-OWL; † lich-holm, a shrub of some kind; lich-house [cf. Du. lijkenhuis], a dead-house, a mortuary; † lich-lay, a rate levied to provide a church-yard (cf. LAY sb.⁷ 4); lich-path = lich-way; † lich-rest, a place for a corpse to rest, a burial-place; † lich-song, ? singing at a lyke-wake; lich-stone, a stone to place the coffin on at the lich-gate; † lich-wal, -wale, a plant (see quots.); † lich-way, a path along which a corpse has been carried to burial (this in some districts being supposed to establish a right of way); † lichwort, a plant (see quots.). Also LICH-GATE, LICH-OWL, LYKE-WAKE.

1421.  in Warner, Hist. Abb. Glaston. (1826), App. 99. j processional, j old gradual, iij new *lychebells.

1449.  Yatton Churchw. Acc. (Som. Rec. Soc.), 90. For a lege bell and the mendyng of another ij^s. ij^d.

1552.  in W. Money, Ch. Goods Berksh. (1879), 19. Two lytchebelles of bell metalle.

1611.  Cotgr., Effraye, a Scricheowle, or *Lychefowle.

1614.  Sco. Venus (1876), 30. These goblins, lich-fouls, Owls, and night-crows to At murthers raile.

a. 1387.  Sinon. Barthol. (Anecd. Oxon.), 13. Bruscus, frutex est *licheholm.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 169. Alswo ofte swo prest singeð þis bede at *lich huse he [etc.].

1559.  Extracts Aberd. Reg. (1844), I. 324. Ane tenement of land within the yard and lichowss thairof [sc. of the parish church].

1850.  Ecclesiologist, X. 339. We … propose … with some degree of confidence,—Lich-House.

1898.  Pall Mall Mag., March, 430/2. He had it [the corpse] brought up and laid in his lych-house.

1753.  in Picton, L’pool Munic. Rec. (1886), II. 170. To purchase a church yard on a *Lych Ley for St. Thomas’s Church.

1862.  Church Builder, April, 48. That path up which you came … used formally to be called the *Lich-path because all the funerals came along that path.

c. 1000.  St. Mildreds, in Sax. Leechd., III. 430. Heo ða hyre *licreste ʓeceas on eliʓ byriʓ.

c. 1205.  Lay., 17225. And swa þu hit scalt leden to þere lich-raste.

1558.  Yatton Churchw. Acc. (Som. Rec. Soc.), 170. Of Wyllam Worthe for the lyche-reste of Ione his wyf vi^s. viii^d.

c. 1675.  in Rec. Presbyt. Inverness & Dingwall (Sc. Hist. Soc.), 121, note. Discharging … all … *Lyksongs, fidling and dancing.

1862.  Athenæum, 30 Aug., 279. [In North Devon] Passing through the lich-gate, the corpse is placed upon the *lich-stone.

c. 1450.  Alphita (Anecd. Oxon.), 72/2. Granum diureticum, anglice *lichewal.

1597.  Gerarde, Herbal, II. clxxx. 487. In English Gromell: of some Pearle plant, and of others Lichwale.

1863.  Prior, Plant-n., Lichwale,… the gromwell, Lithospermum officinale, L.

1587.  Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 303/2. Aduertised of … a *leech waie to be made ouer his land, without his leaue or consent.

1787.  in Grose, Prov. Gloss., Leech-way, the path in which the dead are carried to be buried. Exm.

c. 1450.  Alphita (Anecd. Oxon.), 51/2. Ebulus uel Ebula gall. eble angl. welle-uort uel *licheuart.

a. 1500[?].  MS. Bodl. 536, in Sax. Leechd., III. 336/1. Peritoria .i. peritory or lychewort.

1597.  Gerarde, Herbal, App., Lichwort is Pellitorie of the wall.

1880.  Britten & Holland, Plant-n., Lichwort, Parietaria officinalis, L.

  Hence † Lichless a. Obs., without a dead body.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 3164. Ðo was non biging of al egipte lich-les, so maniȝe dead ðor kipte.