lieutenant

lieutenant
\ \ [14] Etymologically, a lieutenant is someone who ‘holds the place’ of another (more senior) officer – that is, deputizes for him. The word comes from French lieutenant, a compound formed from lieu ‘place’ and tenant (source of English tenant). Lieu (borrowed independently by English as lieu [13] in the phrase ‘in lieu of’) comes in turn from Latin locus ‘place’, source of English local. Locum tenens [17] (or locum for short) ‘temporary replacement’, literally ‘holding the place’, is thus a parallel formation with lieutenant.
\ \ Spellings of lieutenant with -f-, indicating the still current British pronunciation /lef-/, first appear as early as the 14th century.
\ \ Cf.⇒ LIEU, LOCAL, TENANT

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • lieutenant — [ ljøt(ə)nɑ̃ ] n. m. • luetenant 1287; de 1. lieu et tenant, proprt « tenant lieu de » 1 ♦ Personne qui est directement sous les ordres du chef et le remplace éventuellement. Les lieutenants d Alexandre, de César. Chef d entreprise qui a de bons… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Lieutenant — (abbreviated Lt. or Lieut.) is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service, emergency medical services or police officer rank.Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organizations with a codified command structure.… …   Wikipedia

  • lieutenant — Lieutenant. s. m. Officier qui est immediatement sous un autre Officier en chef, & qui tient son lieu en son absence. Gouverneur & Lieutenant General pour le Roy dans la province de &c. Lieutenant de Roy de Languedoc. Lieutenant de Roy de la… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Lieutenant — Lieu*ten ant (l[ u]*t[e^]n ant), n. [F., fr. lieu place + tenant holding, p. pr. of tenir to hold, L. tenere. See {Lieu}, and {Tenant}, and cf. {Locum tenens}.] 1. An officer who supplies the place of a superior in his absence; a representative… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lieutenant — [lo͞o ten′ənt; ] Brit & Cdn [ lef ten′ənt] n. [ME lutenand, luftenand < MFr < lieu (see LIEU) + tenant, holding, prp. of tenir, to hold < L tenere, to hold: see THIN] 1. a person who acts for a superior, as during the latter s absence;… …   English World dictionary

  • Lieutenant — (frz. [ljøtˈnɑ̃], engl. [lɛfˈtɛnənt] (BE) oder auch [luːˈtɛnənt] (AE)) bezeichnet im französischen Wortsinne (lieu + tenant): Statthalter im englisch und französischsprachigen Raum einen militärischen Dienstgrad, in den Landstreitkräften… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • lieutenant — ► NOUN 1) a deputy or substitute acting for a superior. 2) a rank of officer in the British army, above second lieutenant and below captain. 3) a rank of officer in the navy, above sub lieutenant and below lieutenant commander. DERIVATIVES… …   English terms dictionary

  • Lieutenant — (v. fr., spr. Liöht nang), im Deutschen gewöhnlich Leutnant gesprochen; 1) Stellvertreter von Jemand, bes. wenn derselbe eine öffentliche Function bekleidet; so: L. du roi, Stellvertreter des Königs; früher in den französischen Provinzen die mit… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Lieutenant — Lieutenant, s. Leutnant …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Lieutenant — Lieutenant, s. Leutnant …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Lieutenant — (liöhtʼnang), Stellvertreter, der unterste Offiziersrang …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

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