lief
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English lef, leve, leef, from Old English lēof, from Proto-West Germanic *leub, 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 edit
Adjective edit
lief (comparative liefer or liever, superlative liefest or lievest)
Synonyms edit
- (beloved): See Thesaurus:beloved
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
Adverb edit
lief (comparative liefer or liever, superlative liefest)
- (archaic) Readily, willingly, rather.
- c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
- 1. Gent. And thou the Veluet; thou art good veluet;
thou'rt a three pild-peece I warrant thee: I had as liefe
be a Lyst of an English Kersey, as be pil'd, as thou art
pil'd, for a French Veluet. [...]
- 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, section II:
- these great masters of the art, who would far liefer see us little ones practice it, than themselves engage [...].
- 1880, Richard Francis Burton, Os Lusíadas, volume II, page 339:
- Since sware the Parcæ unto me, their friend, / they shall adore my name, my favour prize; / and, as their feats of armèd prowess shend / all feats of rival Rome, I lief devise / some mode of aidance in what things I may, / far as our force o'er man extendeth sway.
- 1902, Josephine Spenser, Corner in Chrysanthemums:
- 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 edit
Translations edit
Quotations edit
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:lief.
Anagrams edit
Dutch edit
Etymology edit
From Middle Dutch lief, from Old Dutch *liof, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
lief (comparative liever, superlative liefst)
- nice, sweet
- Synonym: aardig
- Zij heeft een lieve glimlach.
- She has a sweet smile.
- De jongen is heel lief voor zijn hond.
- The boy is very kind to his dog.
- Doesburg is een lief stadje.
- Doesburg is a lovely little town.
- beloved, dear
- Lieve zus, van harte gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag
- Dearest sister, congratulations on your birthday
- Diepbedroefd geven wij kennis van het overlijden van mijn lieve man en onze zorgzame vader.
- Deeply saddened, we announce the death of my beloved husband and our caring father.
- Lieve zus, van harte gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag
Usage notes edit
- Inappropriate as a salutation in formal or business correspondence; geachte (formal) or beste (somewhat informal) are used instead.
Inflection edit
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 | — |
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Descendants edit
Noun edit
lief n (plural lieven, diminutive liefje n)
- one's beloved in a romantic relationship, i.e. a boyfriend or girlfriend
Usage notes edit
- May be used as a term of address for romantic partners or loved ones, particularly the diminutive liefje/lieffie and the related substantivized superlative liefste. May be perceived as condescending or sexist as a term of address to strangers or work relations.
See also edit
Anagrams edit
German edit
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
lief
Luxembourgish edit
Verb edit
lief
Middle Dutch edit
Etymology edit
From Old Dutch *liof, from Proto-West Germanic *leub.
Adjective edit
lief
Inflection edit
Adjective | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | ||
Nominative | Indefinite | lief | lieve | lief | lieve |
Definite | lieve | lieve | |||
Accusative | Indefinite | lieven | lieve | lief | lieve |
Definite | lieve | ||||
Genitive | liefs | liever | liefs | liever | |
Dative | lieven | liever | lieven | lieven |
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
Further reading edit
- “lief (III)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
- Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “lief (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I
Norman edit
Alternative forms edit
- lyef (Sark)
Etymology edit
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Noun edit
lief m (plural liefs)
Old Frisian edit
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
liēf
- Old West Frisian form of liāf
References edit
- Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 115
Old Spanish edit
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
lief (plural lieues)
- Apocopic form of lieue; light, effortless
- c. 1200, Almerich, Fazienda de Ultramar, f. 42v:
- ca aſſi diz el criador. fazed en eſta torriente muchos pozos enõ ueredes pluuia nj uiẽto en conplir ſea eſta torriente de agua. beuredes uos e ur̃as beſtias lief coſa es eſta delant el c̃ador […]
- “For thus says the Creator, ‘Make in this streambed many ditches. And you will see neither rain nor wind, but this streambed will be filled with water. You and your beasts will drink. This is a light thing before the Creator […] .’”
Scots edit
Alternative forms edit
- (contracted) lee
Etymology edit
From Middle English lef.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
lief (comparative liefer, superlative liefest)
Yola edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English lyf, from Old English līf, from Proto-West Germanic *līb.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
lief
References edit
- Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 54
Zealandic edit
Etymology edit
From Middle Dutch lijf, from Old Dutch līf, from Proto-West Germanic *līb.
Noun edit
lief n (plural [please provide])