lief - Wiktionary, the free dictionary


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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”).

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

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

lief (comparative liefer or liever, superlative liefest)

  1. (archaic) Readily, willingly, rather.

    I'd as lief have one as t'other.

    • 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.

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

lief (attributive liefe, comparative liefer, superlative liefste)

  1. nice, sweet

lief (plural lieve)

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

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

  • IPA(key): /lif/, [lif]
  • Hyphenation: lief
  • Rhymes: -if

lief (comparative liever, superlative liefst)

  1. 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. ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
    Doesburg is een lief stadje. ― Doesburg is a lovely little town.
  2. 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.
  • Inappropriate as a salutation in formal or business correspondence; geachte (formal) or beste (somewhat informal) are used instead.
Declension 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 —

lief n (plural lieven, diminutive liefje n)

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

lief

  1. first/third-person singular preterite of laufen

lief

  1. second-person singular imperative of liewen

From Old Dutch *liof, from Proto-West Germanic *leub.

lief

  1. loved, dear
  2. sweet, nice
Adjective
Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural
Nominative Indefinite lief lieve lief lieve
Definite lieve lieve
Accusative Indefinite lieven lieve lief lieve
Definite lieve
Genitive Indefinite liefs liever liefs liever
Definite liefs, lieven liefs, lieven
Dative lieven liever lieven lieven

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

lief m (plural liefs)

  1. (Jersey) roof

liēf

  1. Old West Frisian form of liāf
  • Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 115

lief (plural lieues)

  1. 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 […] .’”
  • (contracted) lee

From Middle English lef.

lief (comparative liefer, superlative liefest)

  1. dear, beloved

From Middle English lyf, from Old English līf, from Proto-West Germanic *līb.

lief

  1. life
  • 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

From Middle Dutch lijf, from Old Dutch līf, from Proto-West Germanic *līb.

lief n (plural [please provide])

  1. body