leven Dutch · revision 37142

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=901–1000, Wachtendonck Psalms|origins=gem-pro *libēną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈleːvə(n)/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''leven''' (verb, weak: past ''leefde'', past participle ''geleefd''; noun: ''het leven'', plural ''levens'', diminutive ''leventje'')^(Wiktionary)^(WNT)

+ Middle Dutch had the verb and the noun ''leven''.^(MNW) The eastern dialects of Middle Dutch also had a noun ''levent'', as Middle Low German and Middle High German did.^(MNW)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The verb is [[inh|dum|leven]], [[inh|odt|libbon]], [[inh|gem-pro|*libēną|alt=*libēn-]].^(EWN)^(Köbler ANFRK)^(Kroonen 2013) The same verb is [[osx|leƀon]] (Middle Low German ⟨leven⟩), [[goh|lebēn]] (modern [[de|leben]]), [[ang|lifian]] (modern [[en|live]]), [[non|lifa]] (modern Swedish ⟨leva⟩) and [[got|𐌻𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽|tr=liban]].^(EWN)^(Kroonen 2013) Beside it stood a form with ⟨-j-⟩, continued in [[m|osx|libbian]], [[ofs|libba]] (modern [[fy|libje]]) and [[m|ang|libban]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary) The Old Norse verb also means “to be left, remain”.^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ The root ⟨*lib-⟩ is the zero grade of ⟨*līb-⟩, ⟨*leib-⟩, the root of [[lijf]].^(EWN) It is the same root as in the strong verb ⟨*līban-⟩ “to remain”, the source of [[blijven]], and its causative ⟨*laibjan-⟩, as in [[m|en|leave]].^(EWN)^(Kroonen 2013) The Germanic ⟨*b⟩ here comes by grammatical change from ⟨*f⟩, from the root [[ine-pro|*leyp-|t=to stick]]; the ⟨f⟩ shows in [[m|non|lifna|t=to be left]] and [[m|got|𐌰𐍆𐌻𐌹𐍆𐌽𐌰𐌽|tr=aflifnan|t=to remain]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary) Outside Germanic the root gave [[lt|lìpti|t=to stick]].^(EWN) The meaning “to live” is found only in Germanic; it is explained as having grown out of “to remain, to last”.^(EWN)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Van Haeringen 1936) Collitz instead compared the second part of [[la|caelebs|t=unmarried]], taken as “living alone”, and De Vries follows him, while the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal finds that this explains nothing.^(De Vries 1971)^(WNT)

+

+ The noun is the infinitive of the verb used as a noun, as in Middle Low German and in [[m|goh|lebēn]] (modern [[de|Leben]]).^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) Gothic used a derived noun instead, [[m|got|𐌻𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃|tr=libains|t=life]].^(De Vries 1971)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) The Middle Dutch noun had merged with an older abstract noun formed from the same stem, and the two can no longer be told apart.^(MNW)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A form read as ''*levanthemo'' “living”, a present participle, is probably already found in the Lex Salica of the 8th century.^(EWN) The certain first record is ''libbon'' “to live” in the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century, and ''leven'' appears in the Willeram around 1100.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001) In Middle Dutch the verb is recorded in 1200 in ''di wile dater mugte leuen'' “as long as he might live”, and the noun in the same year in ''erlenget wart min leuen'' “my life was lengthened”.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle Dutch used the verb for physical life, for living on something (''leven bi'' or ''met''), and for leading one's life by a rule, especially in the language of faith.^(MNW) The noun meant natural life, the spiritual and moral life, and a way of life.^(MNW) ''Dat openbaer leven'' or ''dat lichte leven'' was the life of a prostitute, and a ''deerne van den levene'' was a prostitute; the euphemism lives on in modern ''in het leven zijn''.^(MNW)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)^(Van Dale 2014)

+

+ In the 16th century ''leven'' was also an insurance term: a regulation of 1598 forbids insuring the life of any person.^(WNT) The sense “noise, uproar” belongs to the same word: the expression ''een leven als een oordeel'', “a din like the Last Judgment”, probably meant the tumult of that day.^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)^(Van Dale 2014) Several phrases are loan translations: ''hij leve hoog'' from German, ''het leven is een droom'' from Spanish and ''het leven is kort, de kunst is lang'' from Latin.^(Van der Sijs 2005) De Vreese condemned the transitive use, as in ''iets geleefd hebben'' for ''beleefd'' or ''doorleefd'' “experienced”, as a gallicism after French ''vivre''.^(De Vreese 1899) In Surinamese Dutch ''leven met'' means to live together with someone.^(Van Donselaar 1989)

+

+ The verb went into Negerhollands (''leev'', ''lif''), Berbice Dutch (''lefu'') and Menadonese Malay (''léwen''), and Afrikaans has ''leef'' and ''lewe''.^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary) The sense “noise” was borrowed into Frisian and Ambonese Malay.^(Van der Sijs 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – The present participle is probably recorded in the Lex Salica.^(EWN)

+ * 901–1000 – Old Dutch ''libbon'' appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * c. 1100 – The form ''leven'' appears in the Willeram.^(EWN)

+ * 1200 – Middle Dutch ''leven'' is recorded both as a verb and as a noun.^(EWN)

+ * 1598 – A regulation forbids insurance on the life of any person.^(WNT)

+ * 1899 – De Vreese condemns the transitive use as a gallicism.^(De Vreese 1899)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|live]], to be [[m|en|alive]]: ''Mijn grootvader leeft nog.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of things, ideas: to exist, to survive: ''Het Fries is een levende taal.''^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # To spend one's life in a certain way: ''Ze leefden heel zuinig.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # To live on, to [[m|en|subsist]] on: ''Hij leeft van zijn pensioen.''^(MNW)^(WNT)

+ # Of a subject: to be a matter of general concern: ''Dat thema leeft onder jongeren.''^(Van Dale 2014)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|life]], the state of being alive: ''Hij redde haar het leven.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|lifetime]], someone's existence from birth to death.^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # A way of life: ''Ze leidt een rustig leven.''^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # The activity of a certain sphere, as in ''het economisch leven'', ''het nachtleven''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # Noise, [[m|en|bustle]], as in ''leven in de brouwerij brengen'' “to liven things up”.^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # The quick, the living flesh under the nails or skin.^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # ''(literature)'' A life, a [[m|en|biography]], especially of a saint.^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(video games)'' A life, one chance to play.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[levensloop]]

+ * [[beleven]]

+ * [[bedrijfsleven]]

+ * [[boerenleven]]

+ * [[buitenleven]]

+ * [[dierenleven]]

+ * [[familieleven]]

+ * [[gezinsleven]]

+ * [[heiligenleven]]

+ * [[hondenleven]]

+ * [[kinderleven]]

+ * [[levenloos]]

+ * [[overleven]]

+ * [[levend]]

+ * [[levendig]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[lijf]]

+ * [[blijven]]

+ * [[en|live]]

+ * [[de|leben]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Die het altaar bedient, moet van het altaar leven'' comes from 1 Corinthians 9:13 and means that everyone must live by his trade.^(Stoett 1923) ''Zijn leven hangt aan een zijden draadje'' means that one's life is in great danger.^(Stoett 1923) In Jewish Dutch ''bij mijn leven'' was an oath, after Yiddish.^(Beem 1975)^(Van de Kamp 2006)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}