*leub

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the adjective *leub "dear, beloved" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *leubaz (“dear, beloved”),^[1][2] which Kroonen cites by its stem *leuba- and Orel as *leuƀaz.^[2][3] Kroonen calls it a European adjective, related to *luba-.^[2] Findell traces the runic forms of the adjective and of the personal names formed from it to a Proto-Germanic root *leub-.^[4]

Morphology

An adjective.^[5][6] Old Saxon liof and Old High German liob were also used as neuter a-stem nouns, "love, something pleasant",^[5][6] which EWA takes for a conversion of the adjective.^[6]

Evidence

The adjective is attested in all the West Germanic languages, Old English lēof, Old Frisian liāf, Old Saxon liof, Old Dutch lief and Old High German liob, and EWA calls it common Germanic.^[6] Köbler dates the Old Dutch record in the psalms to the 9th century,^[7] and ONW has the adjective from Williram's commentary of 1100.^[8] EWA counts runic forms on the brooches of Weimar, from the first half of the 6th century, among the Old High German records.^[6] Findell counts nine continental runic inscriptions with ten probable reflexes of the diphthong *eu, and in all but two of them it belongs to the root *leub-: ⟨leub⟩ on Bad Krozingen A and Engers, ⟨leubwini⟩ (uncertain) on Nordendorf I, ⟨leuba⟩ on Schretzheim I, ⟨leubo⟩ on Schretzheim II, ⟨leob⟩ and ⟨liub(i)⟩ on Weimar I, and ⟨liub⟩ on Niederstotzingen.^[9] Several of them are read as personal names: ⟨leubo⟩ is generally taken for a weak masculine name Leubo, though it could also be a noun "dear one", like Old High German liobo (“beloved, friend”),^[10] and Krause took ⟨leuba⟩ for a feminine name or a by-name "dear one".^[11] Düwel, Nedoma and Oehrl read ⟨liuḅ[i]⟩ on Weimar III as a masculine name Liubi, a short form of a name such as *Leuba-wini-.^[12]

Meanings

1. dear, beloved^[1][2]

Old Frisian also used the adjective for "pleasant, welcome" and "related",^[13] and Old High German for "pleasant, friendly".^[6]

Derivatives

• *leubalīk "lovely", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[14] Old English has lēoflīc and Old Saxon lioflīk, beside Old High German lioblīh.^[15][16]
• *leubōn "to love, to be dear to", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[17] Köbler sets up a Proto-Germanic weak verb *leubēn "to become dear" for Old English lēofian and Old Frisian liāvia.^[18]
• *liubijan "to please", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[19] Köbler sets up Proto-Germanic *leubjan "to make dear" for Old English līefan and Old High German liuben.^[20]

Reflexes

• Old English: lēof (“dear, precious, pleasant”)^[21]
• Old Frisian: liāf (“dear, popular, pleasant, welcome, related”)^[13]
• Old Saxon: liof (“dear, valued, beloved”)^[22]
• Old Dutch: lief (“dear, beloved”)^[7]
• Old High German: liob (“dear, pleasant, friendly, beloved”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *leub
2. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 332
3. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 241
4. ^ Findell, Martin (2012), Phonological Evidence from the Continental Runic Inscriptions, Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde 79, Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 63–64
5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. liof
6. ^ a b c d e f g 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
7. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. lief
8. ^ Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. lief
9. ^ Findell, Martin (2012), Phonological Evidence from the Continental Runic Inscriptions, Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde 79, Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 68
10. ^ Findell, Martin (2012), Phonological Evidence from the Continental Runic Inscriptions, Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde 79, Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 64
11. ^ Findell, Martin (2012), Phonological Evidence from the Continental Runic Inscriptions, Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde 79, Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 63
12. ^ Düwel, Klaus; Nedoma, Robert; Oehrl, Sigmund (2020), Die südgermanischen Runeninschriften, 2 vols, Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde 119, Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. SG-127
13. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. liāf
14. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *leubalīk
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. léoflic
16. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. lioflīk
17. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *leubōn
18. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *leubēn
19. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *liubijan
20. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *leubjan
21. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. léof
22. ^ Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 255