leof

• leaf, līof

From Proto-Germanic *leubaz (“dear, beloved”). Cognate with Old Frisian liāf, Old Saxon liof, Old High German liob, Old Norse ljúfr, Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍆𐍃 (liufs). Non-Germanic cognates include Polish luby (“dear, beloved”). Related to lufu (“love”).

• IPA^(key): /le͜oːf/

lēof (comparative lēofra, superlative lēofest or lēofost or lēofast)

1. dear, beloved
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint George, Martyr"

     Nāst þū lā Geori þæt ūre godas swincað mid þē and ġit hī synd ġeþyldiġe þæt hī þe miltsion. Nū lǣre ic ðē swā swā lēofne sunu þæt ðū þæra cristenra lāre forlǣte mid ealle and tō mīnum rǣde hraðe ġebūge swā þæt ðū offriġe þām ārwurðan Appoline and þū mycelne wurðmynt miht swā beġitan.

     Knowest thou not, O George, that our gods are striving with thee, and even yet they are patient, that they may pity thee; now I exhort thee, as a beloved son, that thou altogether quit the Christians' doctrine, and quickly incline to my counsel, so that thou sacrifice to the venerable Apollo, and thou mayest so obtain great honour.

lēof m

1. friend, loved one
2. as a form of address, sir, can be applied to one or more people, regardless of gender.

Strong a-stem:

• lāþ

• lēoflīċ
• *lēofmann
• lēofre
• lēofwende

• Middle English: lef, leve, lefe, leffe, life, live, luf (Southern or West Midlands)
  • English: lief; ⇒ livelong
  • Scots: lief, lee
  • ⇒ Yola: liveer