liken

English

WOTD – 16 September 2023

Etymology

From Middle English liknen (“to be comparable; to compare (often disparagingly); to make (someone) equal to another person; to regard (something) as equal to another thing; to regard (something) as likely; to resemble; to take (something) as a substitute; to apply, be adapted or suitable; to tend (to sin)”) [and other forms], from liken (“to be comparable; to compare; to be appropriate; to form”), from lik (“alike, analogous, similar; appropriate, suitable; equal; homogeneous; identical, the same; indicative; likely (to be or do something), probable; possible; simultaneous; more or most like (?)”) + -en (suffix forming infinitives of verbs). Lik is derived from Old English ġelīċ (“like, similar”), from Proto-Germanic *galīkaz (“like, similar; equal”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (“like, similar; even, level”). The English word is analysable as like (adjective) +‎ -en (suffix forming verbs with the sense ‘to make [adjective]’).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪk(ə)n/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) enPR: lī'kən, IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪkən/
• Homophones: lichen, lycan
• Rhymes: -aɪkən
• Hyphenation: lik‧en

Verb

liken (third-person singular simple present likens, present participle likening, simple past and past participle likened)

1. (transitive)
   1. Followed by to or (archaic) unto: to regard or state that (someone or something) is like another person or thing; to compare.

      Antonyms: contrast, unliken

      The physics teacher likened the effect of mass on space to an indentation in a sheet of rubber.

      • 1548 January 28 (Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, “Sermon IV. By the Reverend Father in Christ Master Hugh Latimer Bishop of Worcester. Preached in the Shrouds at Paul’s Church in London the 18th Day of January, in the Year 1548.”, in The Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, Master Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester. […], volume I, London: […] J. Scott, […], published 1758, →OCLC, pages 41–42:

        And vvell may the preacher and plovvman be likened together: Firſt, for their labour in all ſeaſons of the year; for there is no time of the year in vvhich the ploughman hath not ſome ſpecial vvork to do. […] And then they alſo may be likened together for the diverſity of vvorks, and variety of offices that they have to do.

        The spelling has been modernized.

      • 1566, Thomas Heskyns, “Proving All Our Sacramentes Generallie to be More Excellent then the Sacramentes of Moyses”, in The Parliament of Chryste Auouching and Declaring the Enacted and Receaued Trueth of the Presence of His Bodie and Bloode in the Blessed Sacrament, […], Antwerp: […] William Silvius […], →OCLC, folio cclxxii, verso:

        In this ſaing S. Auguſtin likeneth the ſacramentes of the olde lavve in reſpect of the ſacramentes of the nevve lavve vnto childrens games, and our ſacramentes he likeneth to the thinges of more profett, vvhich are to be geuen to the ſonnes of God, vvhen they vvaxe of more age, knovvledge, and ripeneſſe.

      • 1579, Plutarke of Chæronea [i.e., Plutarch], “The Life of Sertorius”, in Thomas North, transl., The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romaines, […], London: […] Richard Field, →OCLC, page 626:

        Me thinkes therefore, that of all of the Græcian Captaines I can liken none ſo vvell vnto him, as Eumenes the Cardian.

      • c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 79, column 2:

        [T]he Prince broke thy head for lik'ning him to a ſinging man of VVindſor; […]

      • [1629], Iohn Gaule [i.e., John Gaule], Practique Theories: Or, Votiue Speculations, vpon Iesus Christs Prediction. Incarnation. Passion. Resurrection. […], London: […] [Thomas Cotes] for Iames Bowler, →OCLC, page 141:

        He merited not the Abaſement; vve vvere vvorthy the Damnation. Ah, ah my good Sauiour! A Nethermoſt depth cannot ſincke me lovv enough, ſince thou ſtoop'ſt to a Footſtoole. Thou likenedſt thee to me, I vvill compare me to Nothing: […]

      • 1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 484–486:

        [T]he Rebel King / Doubl'd that ſin in Bethel and in Dan, / Lik'ning his Maker to the Grazed Ox, […]

      • 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter II. Mr. Lovelace, to Joseph Leman.”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume III, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson;  […], →OCLC, page 26:

        You vvill then be every one's favourite: and every good ſervant, for the future, vvill be proud to be liken'd to honeſt Joſeph Leman.

      • 1749, Henry Fielding, “Containing Five Pages of Paper”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume II, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book IV, pages 2–3:

        That our VVork, therefore, might be in no Danger of being likened to the Labours of theſe Hiſtorians, vve have taken every Occaſion of interſperſing through the vvhole ſundry Similes, Deſcriptions, and other kind of poetical Embelliſhments.

      • 1835 (date written; published 1835 December – 1836 January), Edgar Allan Poe, “Scenes from ‘Politian;’ an Unpublished Drama”, in The Works of the Late Edgar Allan Poe: […], volumes II (Poems and Miscellanies), New York, N.Y.: J. S. Redfield, […], published 1850, →OCLC, Act IV, page 69:

        Why dost thou turn so pale? Not Conscience' self, / Far less a shadow which thou likenest to it, / Should shake the firm spirit thus.

      • 1840, [James Fenimore Cooper], chapter I, in Mercedes of Castile: Or, The Voyage to Cathay. […], volume I, Philadelphia, Pa.: Lea and Blanchard, →OCLC, page 20:

        In the name of all the devils, Roderique, of what art thou thinking, that thou likenest this knave to a young noble?

      • 1880, Standish [James] O’Grady, “Descent of the Red Branch”, in History of Ireland: Cuculain and His Contemporaries, volume II, London: Sampson Low, Searle, Marston, & Rivington, […]; Dublin: E. Ponsonby, […], →OCLC, page 192:

        And the tufted isles which thou likenedst to the isles that rise from the face of some still gleaming lake—these are the peaks of the northern hills and the tops of the mountain ranges of the north, standing above the suspended steam of their host.

      • 2013 June 18, Chico Harlan, “After Fukushima, Japan beginning to see the light in solar energy”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian‎^[2], volume 189, number 2, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-10-15, page 30:

        Across Japan, technology companies and private investors are racing to install devices that until recently they had little interest in: solar panels. Massive solar parks are popping up as part of a rapid build-up that one developer likened to an "explosion."

   2. (also reflexive, rare) Chiefly followed by to: to make (oneself, someone, or something) resemble another person or thing.

      Antonym: unliken

      • 1838, Martin Farquhar Tupper, “Of Speaking”, in Proverbial Philosophy: A Book of Thoughts and Arguments, Originally Treated, London: Joseph Rickerby, […], →OCLC, stanza 1, page 133:

        Speech is reason's brother, and a kingly prerogative of man, / That likeneth him to his Maker, who spake, and it was done.

   3. (rare) To represent or symbolize (something).
2. (intransitive, obsolete) Followed by to: to be like or resemble; also, to become like.

Conjugation

Conjugation of liken

infinitive	(to) liken
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	liken	likened
2nd-person singular	liken, likenest†	likened, likenedst†
3rd-person singular	likens, likeneth†	likened
plural	liken
subjunctive	liken	likened
imperative	liken	—
participles	likening	likened

^†Archaic or obsolete.

Derived terms

• likener
• likening (noun)
• unliken
• unlikenable (rare)
• unlikening (noun)

 

Translations

to regard or state that (someone or something) is like another person or thing — see also compare

• Arabic: شَبَّهَ (ar) (šabbaha)
• Bulgarian: сравнявам (bg) (sravnjavam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 比喻 (zh) (bǐyù)

• Dutch: vergelijken (nl)
• Finnish: verrata (fi), rinnastaa (fi)
• French: comparer (fr)
• Georgian: ადარებს (adarebs), ამსგავსებს (amsgavsebs), ამგვანებს (amgvanebs)
• German: vergleichen (de)
• Indonesian: membandingkan (id), mengumpamakan (id)
• Italian: paragonare (it)
• Japanese: たとえる (ja) (tatoeru)
• Macedonian: спо́реди (spóredi)
• Occitan: comparar (oc)
• Polish: porównywać (pl) impf, porównać (pl) pf
• Portuguese: comparar (pt)
• Russian: сра́внивать (ru) impf (srávnivatʹ), сравни́ть (ru) pf (sravnítʹ), уподобля́ть (ru) impf (upodobljátʹ), уподо́бить (ru) pf (upodóbitʹ)
• Sicilian: paragunari (scn)
• Spanish: comparar (es)
• Swedish: likna (sv), jämföra (sv)
• Turkish: benzetmek (tr)

to make (oneself, someone, or something) resemble another person or thing

• Finnish: tehdä jonkinlaiseksi
• Macedonian: please add this translation if you can

to represent or symbolize (something) — see represent,‎ symbolize

Anagrams

• Elkin, Klein, Klien, Kline, inkle, k-line, kline, lekin

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English like.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɑi̯kə(n)/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: li‧ken

Verb

liken

1. (Internet) to like (on social media)

   Hebben jullie mijn pagina al geliket?

   Have you already liked my page?

Conjugation

Conjugation of liken (weak)
infinitive	liken
past singular	likete
past participle	geliket
infinitive	liken
gerund	liken n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	like	likete
2nd person sing. (jij)	liket, like2	likete
2nd person sing. (u)	liket	likete
2nd person sing. (gij)	liket	likete
3rd person singular	liket	likete
plural	liken	liketen
subjunctive sing.1	like	likete
subjunctive plur.1	liken	liketen
imperative sing.	like
imperative plur.1	liket
participles	likend	geliket
1) Archaic. 2) In case of inversion.

German

FWOTD – 12 December 2019

Etymology

Borrowed from English like + -en.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪ̯kn̩/

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

liken (weak, third-person singular present likt or (proscribed) liket, past tense likte or (proscribed) likete, past participle gelikt or (proscribed) geliket or (proscribed) geliked, auxiliary haben)

1. (transitive, social media) to like

   Coordinate term: faven

   • 2012, Claudia Hilker, Erfolgreiche Social-Media-Strategien für die Zukunft: Mehr Profit durch Facebook, Twitter, Xing und Co., Linde Verlag GmbH, →ISBN, page 94:

     Was Facebook-User liken und warum Der Like-Button hat die Online-Welt wie kein zweites Element revolutioniert.

     What Facebook users like, and why the like button has revolutionised the online world like no other element.

   • 2012, Tim Sebastian, Facebook Fanpages Plus, mitp Verlags GmbH & Co. KG, →ISBN, page 22:

     Egal ob Sie etwas schreiben, kommentieren oder liken, tun Sie dies im Namen der Fanpage.

     No matter whether you write something, comment, or like, do this in the name of the fanpage.

   • 2014, Markus Pfeifer, Facebook - Kommunikation und Interaktion mit dem Kunden: Eine Facebook-Marketing Analyse zu den Top 13 österreichischen Biermarken bezugnehmend auf die Interaktion und den Einfluss auf die Facebook Welt, Bachelor + Master Publication, →ISBN, page 50:

     Es wurde die Möglichkeit untersucht, ob ein Minderjähriger Facebook-User überhaupt die Befugnis hat bei den 13 auserwählten Bier Unternehmen deren Facebook-Seiten zu liken.

     It was checked whether an underage Facebook user actually had the ability to like the Facebook sites of the 13 selected beer companies.

   • 2014, Wolfgang H. Weinrich, Der liebe Gott kommt nicht voran, unnumbered page:

     Bin ich dann einer unter vielen und muss darauf warten, wer meine Follower sind und wer mich liked oder gar linkt?

     Am I then one among many, and must I pay attention to who my followers are and who likes me or even links me?

   • 2014, Katherine Womser, Wenn Fernsehen alleine nicht genug ist, page 183:

     Das war halt so wie man bei Facebook was postet und keiner antwortet und keiner liked das.

     That was like if you posted something on Facebook and no-one answeres or likes it.

   • 2023 January 11, Paul Weinheimer, “Ausstellung „Flying Foxes“: Kapitalismuskritik mit Megayacht”, in Die Tageszeitung: taz‎^[3], →ISSN:

     Jeder Beitrag wird „gelikt“, danach wird weiter gewischt: Die Rolle der Use­r*in übernimmt ein Bot, er likt und scrollt.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

• Duden recommends conjugating the verb as if it were a standard German weak verb with the hypothetical stem lik-. However, irregular conjugations that preserve some or all of the features of English grammar, especially the terminal e, are common.

Conjugation

Conjugation of liken (weak, auxiliary haben)

infinitive		liken
present participle		likend
past participle		gelikt geliket1 geliked1
auxiliary		haben
	indicative			subjunctive
	singular	plural		singular	plural
present	ich like	wir liken	i	ich like	wir liken
	du likst du likest1	ihr likt ihr liket1		du likest	ihr liket
	er likt er liket1	sie liken		er like	sie liken
preterite	ich likte ich likete1	wir likten wir liketen1	ii	ich likte2 ich likete1,2	wir likten2 wir liketen1,2
	du liktest du liketest1	ihr liktet ihr liketet1		du liktest2 du liketest1,2	ihr liktet2 ihr liketet1,2
	er likte er likete1	sie likten sie liketen1		er likte2 er likete1,2	sie likten2 sie liketen1,2
imperative	lik (du) like (du)	likt (ihr) liket (ihr)1

¹Proscribed.
²Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.

Composed forms of liken (weak, auxiliary haben)

perfect
	singular	plural		singular	plural
indicative	ich habe gelikt ich habe geliket1 ich habe geliked1	wir haben gelikt wir haben geliket1 wir haben geliked1	subjunctive	ich habe gelikt ich habe geliket1 ich habe geliked1	wir haben gelikt wir haben geliket1 wir haben geliked1
	du hast gelikt du hast geliket1 du hast geliked1	ihr habt gelikt ihr habt geliket1 ihr habt geliked1		du habest gelikt du habest geliket1 du habest geliked1	ihr habet gelikt ihr habet geliket1 ihr habet geliked1
	er hat gelikt er hat geliket1 er hat geliked1	sie haben gelikt sie haben geliket1 sie haben geliked1		er habe gelikt er habe geliket1 er habe geliked1	sie haben gelikt sie haben geliket1 sie haben geliked1
pluperfect
indicative	ich hatte gelikt ich hatte geliket1 ich hatte geliked1	wir hatten gelikt wir hatten geliket1 wir hatten geliked1	subjunctive	ich hätte gelikt ich hätte geliket1 ich hätte geliked1	wir hätten gelikt wir hätten geliket1 wir hätten geliked1
	du hattest gelikt du hattest geliket1 du hattest geliked1	ihr hattet gelikt ihr hattet geliket1 ihr hattet geliked1		du hättest gelikt du hättest geliket1 du hättest geliked1	ihr hättet gelikt ihr hättet geliket1 ihr hättet geliked1
	er hatte gelikt er hatte geliket1 er hatte geliked1	sie hatten gelikt sie hatten geliket1 sie hatten geliked1		er hätte gelikt er hätte geliket1 er hätte geliked1	sie hätten gelikt sie hätten geliket1 sie hätten geliked1
future i
infinitive	liken werden		subjunctive i	ich werde liken	wir werden liken
				du werdest liken	ihr werdet liken
				er werde liken	sie werden liken
indicative	ich werde liken	wir werden liken	subjunctive ii	ich würde liken	wir würden liken
	du wirst liken	ihr werdet liken		du würdest liken	ihr würdet liken
	er wird liken	sie werden liken		er würde liken	sie würden liken
future ii
infinitive	gelikt haben werden geliket haben werden1 geliked haben werden1		subjunctive i	ich werde gelikt haben ich werde geliket haben1 ich werde geliked haben1	wir werden gelikt haben wir werden geliket haben1 wir werden geliked haben1
				du werdest gelikt haben du werdest geliket haben1 du werdest geliked haben1	ihr werdet gelikt haben ihr werdet geliket haben1 ihr werdet geliked haben1
				er werde gelikt haben er werde geliket haben1 er werde geliked haben1	sie werden gelikt haben sie werden geliket haben1 sie werden geliked haben1
indicative	ich werde gelikt haben ich werde geliket haben1 ich werde geliked haben1	wir werden gelikt haben wir werden geliket haben1 wir werden geliked haben1	subjunctive ii	ich würde gelikt haben ich würde geliket haben1 ich würde geliked haben1	wir würden gelikt haben wir würden geliket haben1 wir würden geliked haben1
	du wirst gelikt haben du wirst geliket haben1 du wirst geliked haben1	ihr werdet gelikt haben ihr werdet geliket haben1 ihr werdet geliked haben1		du würdest gelikt haben du würdest geliket haben1 du würdest geliked haben1	ihr würdet gelikt haben ihr würdet geliket haben1 ihr würdet geliked haben1
	er wird gelikt haben er wird geliket haben1 er wird geliked haben1	sie werden gelikt haben sie werden geliket haben1 sie werden geliked haben1		er würde gelikt haben er würde geliket haben1 er würde geliked haben1	sie würden gelikt haben sie würden geliket haben1 sie würden geliked haben1

¹Proscribed.

Related terms

• Like

See also

• faken, saven, timen

Further reading

• “liken” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “liken” in Duden online
• “liken” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “liken” in OpenThesaurus.de
• “liken”, in Online-Wortschatz-Informationssystem Deutsch (in German), Mannheim: Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache, 2008–

Middle Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈliːkən/

Etymology 1

Verb

liken

1. Alternative form of geliken

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Etymology 2

From Old Dutch līcon, from Proto-West Germanic *līkēn, from Proto-Germanic *līkāną.

Verb

liken

1. to please, (in archaic English usage) to like

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: lijken

Further reading

• “liken”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “liken (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I

Middle English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈliːkən/
• (generalised from trisyllabic forms) IPA^(key): /ˈlikən/, /ˈleːkən/

Etymology 1

From Old English līcian, from Proto-West Germanic *līkēn, from Proto-Germanic *līkāną.

Alternative forms

• like, liki, likie, liky, lyke, lyken, lyky
• licen, licien, likien, likin, lykie, lykyen (Early Middle English)

Verb

liken (third-person singular simple present liketh, present participle likende, likynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle liked)

1. To be appealing or pleasant (to); to be liked (by).

   Þe snow likeþ (to) me as hit makeþ þe toun stylle

   The snow pleases me since it makes the town quiet.

2. (impersonal) To please; to appeal to.
3. (especially Late Middle English) To like or enjoy; to find pleasant.
4. To opt or select; to like above other options.

Conjugation

Conjugation of liken (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) liken, like
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	like	liked
2nd-person singular	likest	likedest
3rd-person singular	liketh	liked
subjunctive singular	like
imperative singular		—
plural1	liken, like	likeden, likede
imperative plural	liketh, like	—
participles	likynge, likende	liked, yliked

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: like
• Scots: like
• Yola: lick, licke, lik

References

• “līken, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

From lik (“similar”) +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

Alternative forms

• lyckyn, lyken

Verb

liken (third-person singular simple present liketh, present participle likende, likynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle liked) (rare)

1. To compare; to examine the similarities and differences between two things.
2. To be equivalent in value or suitable to accompany.
3. To create from; to use as a basis or material.

Conjugation

Conjugation of liken (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) liken, like
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	like	liked
2nd-person singular	likest	likedest
3rd-person singular	liketh	liked
subjunctive singular	like
imperative singular		—
plural1	liken, like	likeden, likede
imperative plural	liketh, like	—
participles	likynge, likende	liked, yliked

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

References

• “līken, v.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Swedish

Noun

liken

1. definite singular of like
2. definite plural of lik

Anagrams

• e.likn., kilen

West Frisian

Noun

liken

1. plural of lyk