lief Dutch · revision 37407

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /lif/, [lif]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''lief''' (comparative liever, superlative liefst)^(Wiktionary)

+ As a noun: '''lief''' ''n'' (plural lieven, diminutive liefje n).^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|lief]], [[inh|odt|lief]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*leub]], [[inh|gem-pro|*leubaz|alt=*leuba-|t=dear, beloved]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same adjective is [[osx|liof]], [[goh|liob]] (modern [[de|lieb]]), [[ofs|liāf]], [[ang|lēof]] (modern [[en|lief]]), [[non|ljúfr]] and [[got|𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍆𐍃|tr=liufs]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Kroonen 2013) The ablauting forms [[m|gem-pro|*luba-]] and [[m|gem-pro|*lubōn-]] gave [[lof]] and [[loven]], and the verb [[geloven]] belongs to the same group.^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)

+

+ Further relatives are [[la|lubet|t=it pleases]], the early form of [[m|la|libet]], [[sa|लुभ्यति|tr=lúbhyati|t=he desires]], [[lt|liaupsė|t=praise, hymn of praise]] and [[cu|любъ|tr=ljubŭ|t=dear]], all from [[ine-pro|*lewbʰ-|t=to desire, love]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Wiktionary) Franck and Van Wijk think the Slavic adjective is probably not a loan from Germanic.^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) De Vries derives the root from a shorter *leu-, which he also finds in [[lieden]], and suggests that its first sense was the bond within a family or tribe rather than strong desire.^(De Vries 1971)

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+ The EWN takes “beloved” as the original meaning, from which came “good-natured, kind, charming”.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the 10th-century Wachtendonck Psalms the Old Dutch adjective is used as a noun, ''lieua thina'' “your beloved ones”.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001) Around 1100 the Egmond paraphrase of the Song of Songs has ''waz himo lief is'' “what is dear to him”, and the Werden fragments of about 1151 use it in address, ''liebe uater'' “dear father”.^(EWN)^(ONW)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In early Middle Dutch the adjective could mean “pleasant”: a text of 1201–1225 says that something was not pleasant to the speaker at all.^(EWN) The sense “friendly, nice” is found in the 17th century.^(EWN)^(WNT) The old meaning “beloved, dear” lives on mainly in fixed phrases such as ''iets voor lief nemen'' “to put up with something”, ''Onze-Lieve-Vrouw'' “Our Lady” and ''om de lieve vrede'' “for the sake of peace”, while the adverb has mostly the younger sense, as in ''lief doen'' “to be sweet”.^(EWN) The forms ''liever'' and ''liefst'' serve as the comparative and superlative of [[graag]].^(EWN)

+

+ Used as a noun, Middle Dutch ''lief'' meant “joy”, in the pair ''lief ende leet'' (1265–1270), and “beloved, sweetheart” (1270–1290).^(EWN)^(VMNW) The diminutive ''liefken'' is recorded in 1400–1420 and ''liefje'' in 1637; the form without the diminutive is now mainly Belgian.^(EWN) In the north it is often used half mockingly.^(WNT)

+

+ The adjective went into Negerhollands (''lief''), Papiamentu (''lif'') and older Sranan Tongo (''lifi''), and the diminutive gave obsolete English ''leefkyn'' “sweetheart”.^(Van der Sijs 2010) Afrikaans has [[m|af|lief]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 901–1000 – The Wachtendonck Psalms have ''lieua thina'' “your beloved ones”.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * c. 1100 – The Egmond Willeram has ''waz himo lief is'' “what is dear to him”.^(EWN)^(ONW)

+ * c. 1151 – The Werden fragments address a father as ''liebe uater''.^(ONW)

+ * 1201–1225 – Middle Dutch ''lief'' means “pleasant”.^(EWN)

+ * 1265–1270 – The noun ''lief'' “joy” appears beside ''leet'' “sorrow”.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+ * 1270–1290 – The noun is used for a beloved person.^(EWN)

+ * 1400–1420 – The diminutive ''liefken'' “sweetheart” is recorded.^(EWN)

+ * 1637 – ''Liefje'' is first recorded.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|beloved]], [[m|en|dear]]: ''Haar oude hond was haar erg lief.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|kind]] and friendly in character: ''Wat lief dat je even belt.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # Sweet, pretty to look at: ''een lief jurkje''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(chiefly Belgium)'' One's beloved, a [[m|en|sweetheart]].^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)^(EWN)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[liefde]]

+ * [[liefje]]

+ * [[liefhebben]]

+ * [[liefkozen]]

+ * [[lieftallig]]

+ * [[lieflijk]]

+ * [[lieveling]]

+ * [[lieverd]]

+ * [[lieven]]

+ * [[believen]]

+ * [[verlieven]]

+ * [[allerliefst]]

+ * [[eilieve]]

+ * [[madelief]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[lof]]

+ * [[loven]]

+ * [[geloven]]

+ * [[en|lief]]

+ * [[de|lieb]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Vaker dan me lief is'' means “more often than I would like”, and ''er een lief ding voor overhebben'' is to want something very much.^(Van Dale 2014) ''Lief en leed'' “joy and sorrow” keeps the old noun sense “joy”.^(EWN)^(WNT) Stoett explains ''die me lief heeft, volgt me'', a jocular invitation to come along, as an echo of John 12:26.^(Stoett 1923)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}