lief

See also: Lief

English

Etymology

From Middle English leef, leve, lef, from Old English lēof, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz. Cognate with Saterland Frisian ljo, ljoo, West Frisian leaf, Dutch lief, German Low German leev, German lieb, Swedish and Norwegian Nynorsk ljuv, Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍆𐍃 (liufs), Russian любо́вь (ljubóvʹ), Polish luby.

For the adverb, compare German lieber, Dutch liever (“preferably, rather”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /liːf/
  • Rhymes: -iːf
  • Homophone: leaf

Adjective

lief (comparative liefer or liever, superlative liefest or lievest)

  1. (archaic) Beloved, dear, agreeable.
  2. (archaic) Ready, willing.

Synonyms

  • (beloved): For semantic relationships of this sense, see beloved in the Thesaurus.

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

lief (comparative liefer or liever, superlative liefest)

  1. (archaic, except UK dialectal) Readily, willingly.
    • 1826, Thomas Byerly, ‎John Timbs, The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction:
      As far as physiognomy goes, the winners protest that they would as lief have foregone the double points, and the money.
    • 1869, RD Blackmoore, Lorna Doone, II:
      these great masters of the art, who would far liefer see us little ones practice it, than themselves engage [...].
    • 1902: "Corner in Chrysanthemums" by Josephine Spenser
      I'd as lief put on my hat and cane and help you if you think they'll be too heavy.
    I'd as lief have one as t'other.

Derived terms

Translations

Quotations

  • For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:lief.

Anagrams

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch lief, from Old Dutch *liof, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-.

Pronunciation

  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -if
  • IPA(key): [lif]

Adjective

lief (comparative liever, superlative liefst)

  1. nice, sweet
  2. beloved

Inflection

Inflection of lief
uninflected lief
inflected lieve
comparative liever
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial lief liever het liefst
het liefste
indefinite m./f. sing. lieve lievere liefste
n. sing. lief liever liefste
plural lieve lievere liefste
definite lieve lievere liefste
partitive liefs lievers —

Noun

lief n (plural lieven, diminutive liefje n)

  1. one's beloved in a romantic relationship, i.e. a boyfriend or girlfriend

Derived terms

See also

Anagrams

German

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [liːf]
  • Rhymes: -iːf

Verb

lief

  1. First-person singular preterite of laufen.
  2. Third-person singular preterite of laufen.

Luxembourgish

Verb

lief

  1. second-person singular imperative of liewen

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *liof, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-.

Adjective

lief

  1. loved, dear
  2. sweet, nice

Inflection

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

Derived terms

Descendants

Further reading

  • “lief (III)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
  • “lief (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, 1929

Norman

Alternative forms

Noun

lief m (plural liefs)

  1. (Jersey) roof

Scots

Alternative forms

  • (contracted) lee

Etymology

From Old English lēof, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [lif]

Adjective

lief (comparative liefer, superlative liefest)

  1. dear, beloved

Yola

Noun

lief

  1. life

References

  • J. Poole W. Barnes, A Glossary, with Some Pieces of Verse, of the Old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy (1867)
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