lief

See also: Lief

English

Etymology

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

• IPA^(key): /liːf/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• 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): See Thesaurus:beloved

Derived terms

• liefsome

Related terms

• alderliefest
• leman
• livelong

Translations

beloved, dear, agreeable

• Russian: люби́мый (ru) (ljubímyj), дорого́й (ru) (dorogój)
• Swedish: kär (sv)

willing

• Bulgarian: охотен (bg) (ohoten)
• Russian: охо́тный (ru) (oxótnyj)

Adverb

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.

Derived terms

• liefer/liever

Translations

Readily, willingly

• Bulgarian: охотно (bg) (ohotno)
• Russian: охо́тно (ru) (oxótno)

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:lief.

Anagrams

• flie, filé, File, elif, life, Fiel, Life, file

Afrikaans

Etymology

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

Adjective

lief (attributive liefe, comparative liefer, superlative liefste)

1. nice, sweet

Noun

lief (plural lieve)

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

Dutch

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lif/, [lif]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: lief
• Rhymes: -if

Adjective

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.

Usage notes

• Inappropriate as a salutation in formal or business correspondence; geachte (formal) or beste (somewhat informal) are used instead.

Declension

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	—

Derived terms

• lieflijk
• lieve help
• lieveling
• van lieverlee

 

Related terms

• liefde
• liefhebben

 

Descendants

• Afrikaans: lief
• Negerhollands: lief
• Papiamentu: lif

Noun

lief n (plural lieven, diminutive liefje n)

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

Usage notes

• 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.

Anagrams

• file

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [liːf]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːf

Verb

lief

1. first/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-West Germanic *leub.

Adjective

lief

1. loved, dear
2. sweet, nice

Inflection

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

Derived terms

• lieven

Descendants

• Dutch: lief
• Limburgish: leef

Further reading

• “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

Alternative forms

• lyef (Sark)

Etymology

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

Noun

lief m (plural liefs)

1. (Jersey) roof

Old Frisian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈli̯ɛːf/

Adjective

liēf

1. Old West Frisian form of liāf

References

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

Old Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈljeɸ]?

Adjective

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 […] .’”

Scots

Alternative forms

• (contracted) lee

Etymology

From Middle English lef.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lif]

Adjective

lief (comparative liefer, superlative liefest)

1. dear, beloved

Yola

Alternative forms

• life

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /liːf/
• Homophone: laafe

Noun

lief

1. life

References

• 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

Etymology

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

Noun

lief n (plural [please provide])

1. body