From Old Latin loeber, from Proto-Italic *louðeros, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁léwdʰeros, from *h₁lewdʰ- (“people”).
Cognate with Ancient Greek ἐλεύθερος (eleútheros), Sanskrit रोधति (ródhati), Dutch lieden, German Leute, Russian лю́ди (ljúdi, “people”).