leben German · revision 34843

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *leyp-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈleːbən/, [ˈleːbm̩], [ˈleːb(ə)n]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''leben''' (third-person singular present lebt, past tense lebte, past participle gelebt, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|leben]], [[inh|goh|lebēn]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*libbjan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*libjaną|t=to live]].^(Kluge 2011|565)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) Kluge and Kroonen reconstruct the Germanic verb with a stative suffix, Kroonen's [[gem-pro|*libēn-|t=to be left; to live]].^(Kluge 2011|565)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[got|𐌻𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽|tr=liban]], [[non|lifa]], [[ang|libban]], [[ofs|libba]] and [[osx|libbian]], and today [[nl|leven]], [[en|live]] and [[sv|leva]].^(Kluge 2011|565)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ It is a durative or stative verb beside the strong verb found in [[bleiben]], so that its first meaning was “to remain, continue”, from which “to live” developed.^(Kluge 2011|565)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Paul 2002) The older sense is still visible in [[m|non|lifa]], which also means “to be left”, and in an Old High German gloss that renders [[la|superstes|t=surviving]] with the participle.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|12, 397) Paul thinks of survival after a battle.^(Paul 2002) Wiktionary traces it to [[ine-pro|*leyp-|t=to leave, cling, linger]];^(Wiktionary) the Duden and Wahrig connect it, through the sense “to stick, stay”, with the root of [[Leim]], meaning “slimy, sticky”.^(Duden 7 2014|511)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) The old noun for “life” from the same root is [[Leib]].^(Duden 7 2014|511)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''lebēn'' is first recorded in glosses of the third quarter of the 8th century, and then in Isidor, the Tatian, Otfrid and Notker, meaning “to live, exist”, also “to dwell”, “to live on something” and “to survive”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The infinitive used as a noun, [[Leben]], appears in late Old High German (around 1000) and took over the sense “life” from [[Leib]], which shifted to “body”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|12, 409) Compounds include ''Lebenslauf'' (17th century), a loan translation of Latin ''curriculum vitae'', ''Lebensmittel'' “food” (17th century) and ''Lebensqualität'' (second half of the 20th century), after English ''quality of life''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|511) The adjective [[lebendig]] goes back to Old High German ''lebēntīg'' (9th century).^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The sense “to reside, have one's home” is attributed by the Duden dictionary to the influence of English ''to live''.^(Duden GWDS 1999) The alliterating formula ''wie er leibt und lebt'' “to the life, exactly as he is” preserves the connection with ''Leib''.^(Paul 2002) [[ableben]] “to die” first meant “to live to the end” (16th century).^(Duden 7 2014|511)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 3rd quarter of the 8th century – Old High German ''lebēn'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 9th century – ''lebēntīg'' “alive” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * c. 1000 – The noun ''lebēn'' “life” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ * 16th century – ''ableben'' is formed.^(Duden 7 2014|511)

+ * 17th century – ''Lebenslauf'' and ''Lebensmittel'' are formed.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Second half of the 20th century – ''Lebensqualität'' is formed after English.^(Duden 7 2014|511)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To be [[m|en|alive]], not dead: ''Der alte Hund lebt noch.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To spend one's life in a certain way: ''sparsam leben''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To [[m|en|reside]], have one's home: ''Sie lebt seit Jahren in Leipzig.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|subsist]] on, live off: ''von der Rente leben''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To lead (a life), live out: ''ein ruhiges Leben leben''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To devote oneself to: ''für die Musik leben''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Leben]]

+ * [[lebendig]]

+ * [[lebhaft]]

+ * [[Lebewesen]]

+ * [[Lebewohl]]

+ * [[ableben]]

+ * [[erleben]]

+ * [[überleben]]

+ * [[beleben]]

+ * [[zusammenleben]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bleiben]]

+ * [[Leib]]

+ * [[Leim]]

+ * [[en|live]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Early New High German also had an unrelated ''leben'' “to curdle (milk)”, a variant of ''laben'', used by Mathesius.^(DWB|12, 424)^(Köbler MHD)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}