leyfa

Etymology

From Old Norse leyfa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈleiːva]

  Rhymes: -eiːva

  Homophone: leifa

Verb

leyfa (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative leyfði, supine leyft)

1. (transitive, governs the accusative) to allow something, to permit something, to give permission for something
2. (ditransitive, governs the accusative and dative) to allow somebody something, to permit somebody something, to give somebody permission for something
   • Timothy 2:11-12 (English, Icelandic)

     Konan á að læra í kyrrþey, í allri undirgefni. Ekki leyfi ég konu að kenna eða taka sér vald yfir manninum, heldur á hún að vera kyrrlát.

     A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.

   Ég leyfði honum að leika sér með boltann.

   I gave him permission to play with his ball.

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *laubijaną, whence also Old English līfan, lēfan, lȳfan, Old High German gilouben (“believe”) and irlouben (“allow”) (German glauben, erlauben), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌽 (uslaubjan, “allow”).

Verb

leyfa

1. to allow, permit
2. to praise

References

• leyfa in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press