*leubaz

Reconstruction

The adjective is *leubaz in Wiktionary,^[1] *leuƀaz in Orel,^[2] and the stem *leuba- in Kroonen, Köbler and Heidermanns;^[3][4][5] Köbler also gives *liubaz.^[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰós (“beloved”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to desire, to love”).^[1] Heidermanns calls it an inherited formation, identical with the Old Church Slavonic word for "dear", from Indo-European *leubho-.^[5]

Morphology

An a-stem adjective with the e-grade of the root.^[6][7] No strong verb survives, but the root appears in the zero grade in Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐍉𐌸𐍂𐌿𐌻𐌿𐌱𐍉 (broþrulubo, “brotherly love”) and Old High German luba (“love”), and in the a-grade in *lauba-.^[5][7] Heidermanns gives its basic meaning as passive, "loved", and notes that it takes a dative of the person.^[5] Wiktionary counts it among the oldest e-grade adjectives in *-az, since it has a cognate in Proto-Slavic *ľubъ.^[1]

Evidence

The adjective is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍆𐍃 (liufs) in Gothic, Old Norse ljúfr in Old Norse, and Old English lēof, Old Saxon liof and Old High German liob in West Germanic,^[3] with Old Frisian liāf in Old Frisian.^[2] It is old in runic inscriptions: de Vries cites ⟨leubaR⟩ in a personal name on the Skärkind stone of about 450, which Marstrander took for the adjective, and the feminine nominative singular ⟨liubu⟩ at Opedal, 600 to 650.^[8] Heidermanns reads the name as ⟨skipaleubaR⟩.^[5] In the south, Nedoma accepts ⟨leob⟩ on the Weimar I A brooch of about 550 and ⟨leub⟩ at Bad Krozingen, about 600, as sure records of the word, used as a wish.^[9] EWA dates the Old High German word in runes from the first half of the 6th century, on the brooches of Weimar.^[10]

Competing analyses

Kroonen calls it a European adjective,^[3] while Orel and Heidermanns equate it with the Slavic word.^[2][5] Heidermanns sees the verbal root in Latin libet (“it pleases”) and in the Sanskrit verb for "to desire".^[5] Feist compares Latin libido (“desire”) as well.^[11]

Meanings

1. dear, beloved^[3][4][5][1]

Old English also used it for "pleasant",^[2] and Old Saxon for "kind".^[12]

Derivatives

• *leubalīkaz "lovely".^[1][2]
• *galaubaz "trustworthy, valuable", from *laubaz, itself derived from this adjective.^[1][13]
• Nouns: Orel's *luƀan "praise" and *luƀō "love";^[14] Köbler's *leubō "love" and *leubōn "friend".^[4]
• Verbs in Köbler: *leubjan "to make dear" and *leubēn "to become dear".^[4]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍆𐍃 (liufs, “dear”)^[11]
• Old Norse: ljúfr (“dear, worthy”)^[8]
• Old English: lēof (“dear, precious, pleasant”)^[15]
• Old Frisian: liāf (“dear, beloved”)^[16]
• Old Saxon: liof (“dear, beloved, kind”)^[12]
• Old High German: liob (“dear, pleasant, beloved”)^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *leubaz
2. ^ a b c d e Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 241
3. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 332
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *leuba-
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. leuba-
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. liufs
7. ^ a b Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 106
8. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. ljúfr
9. ^ Nedoma, Robert (2004), Personennamen in südgermanischen Runeninschriften, Studien zur altgermanischen Namenkunde I,1,1, Heidelberg: Winter, p. LEUB
10. ^ a b Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. liob
11. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. liufs
12. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. liof
13. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 237
14. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 249
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. léof
16. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. liāf