Liebe German · revision 35494

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=9th century, Old High German|origins=gem-pro *leubaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈliːbə/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Liebe''' ''f'' (genitive Liebe, plural Lieben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|liebe]], [[inh|goh|liubī]], an abstract noun formed only in German from the adjective [[lieb|t=dear]], [[m|goh|liob]].^(Kluge 2011|576)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|512)^(DWB|12, 917) A form [[m|goh|lioba]] appears beside it from the 11th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The adjective continues [[gem-pro|*leubaz|t=dear, beloved]], also found in [[got|𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍆𐍃|tr=liufs]], [[non|ljúfr]], [[ang|lēof]] (English [[m|en|lief]]) and [[ofs|liāf]].^(Kluge 2011|576)^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ The older words for love were formed from the zero grade of the same root: [[ang|lufu]] (English [[m|en|love]]), [[osx|luba]] and [[goh|luba]].^(Kluge 2011|576)^(Wiktionary) The Grimms stress that the Old English noun shares only the root with the German one.^(DWB|12, 917) Outside Germanic, [[ru|любить|tr=ljubítʹ|t=to love]] and [[la|libīdō|t=desire, lust]] belong here.^(Kluge 2011|576)^(Pfeifer 1993) The same Germanic root is in [[loben]], [[erlauben]] and [[glauben]].^(Kluge 2011|576)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|512)

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+ Pfeifer and Duden set up a root [[ine-pro|*lewbʰ-|t=to love, desire]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|512) Kluge instead starts from a meaning “to be in disorder, be excited”, comparing [[grc|ἀλύω|tr=alúō|t=to wander about, be beside oneself]], because the Sanskrit verb related to the root meant “to go astray” before it meant “to desire”.^(Kluge 2011|576)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''liubī'' is recorded from the 9th century.^(Pfeifer 1993) The neuter ''liob'' (modern ''Lieb''), found in Otfrid (863–871), Notker and glosses, meant “love, joy, good fortune, pleasure”, as in the pair ''liob unde leid'' “joy and sorrow”.^(Köbler AHD)^(EWA|5, 1335)^(Schützeichel 2012|203)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle High German ''liebe'' still meant above all the pleasure one feels in or through something, “joy, kindness, favour”;^(Lexer 1872|1, 1902)^(Pfeifer 1993) Ulrich von Liechtenstein could write that constant ''liebe'' is called ''minne''.^(Lexer 1872|1, 1902)^(Pfeifer 1993) From the 15th and 16th centuries the word took on its present meaning, displacing [[Minne]], which had become indecent.^(Kluge 2011|576)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary DE) Early New High German used it also for social goodwill and for the favour of a superior.^(FWB)

+

+ Luther explained it as being well disposed to someone with all one's heart, and the philosophers of the 18th century (Gellert, Kant) attempted definitions of it.^(DWB|12, 917) ''Liebe machen'' “to make love” is a loan translation of English ''to make love''.^(Duden GWDS 1999) English has borrowed ''Liebestod'' (1889), the love-death of Wagner's ''Tristan''.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 9th century – Old High German ''liubī'' first appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 863–871 – Otfrid uses ''liob'' “love, joy”.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 11th century – The form ''lioba'' appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th–16th century – The modern sense, displacing ''Minne''.^(Kluge 2011|576)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1889 – English borrows ''Liebestod''.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|love]], strong [[m|en|affection]] for a person close to one: ''die Liebe einer Mutter zu ihrem Kind''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Romantic love: a bond of physical and emotional [[m|en|attraction]] to another person: ''Sie heirateten aus Liebe.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(euphemistic)'' Sexual relations: ''käufliche Liebe'' “prostitution”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Love of or devotion to a thing or idea: ''seine Liebe zur Musik''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # A loved person: ''Sie war seine erste Liebe.''^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # A love affair.^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[liebevoll]]

+ * [[lieblos]]

+ * [[Liebschaft]]

+ * [[Liebelei]]

+ * [[Nächstenliebe]]

+ * [[Liebeskummer]]

+ * [[Liebesbrief]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[lieb]]

+ * [[lieben]]

+ * [[Liebling]]

+ * [[lieblich]]

+ * [[Liebchen]]

+ * [[Minne]]

+ * [[loben]]

+ * [[glauben]]

+ * [[en|love]]

+ * [[en|lief]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''Liebe auf den ersten Blick'' “love at first sight” and the proverbs ''alte Liebe rostet nicht'' and ''Liebe macht blind''.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Brennende Liebe'' is the name of a plant with scarlet flowers.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}