любить

Forms

люби́ть (ljubítʹ) impf (perfective полюби́ть, verbal noun (nomen patientis) люби́мец or (nomen agentis) люби́тель)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic любити (ljubiti), from Proto-Slavic *ľubiti.^[2][3][1] The verb is common Slavic: Old Church Slavonic любити (ljubiti) (for Ancient Greek φιλεῖν (phileîn) and ἀγαπᾶν (agapân)), Ukrainian любити (ljubyty), Bulgarian лю́бя (ljúbja), Serbo-Croatian љу́бити (ljúbiti), Czech líbiti (“to love”), Polish lubić and Upper Sorbian lubić (“to vow”).^[2] Vasmer, ESRJa and Shansky derive it with the suffix ⟨-i-ti⟩ from the adjective Proto-Slavic *ľubъ (“dear, beloved”), Old Church Slavonic любъ (ljubŭ) (see любо and любой).^[2][3][4] Shaposhnikov calls it formally a causative in ⟨-ити⟩ from the same adjective.^[5] ESSJa argues against deriving the verb from the adjective, citing its Germanic connections.^[3]

The root is Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to desire, love”).^[1] Its relatives are Latin libet (“it pleases”) (older lubet), Sanskrit लुभ्यति (lúbhyati, “desires”) and लोभयति (lobháyati, “arouses desire”), and Old English lufian (“to love”), the source of love.^[3][5][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Ostromir Gospel of 1056–1057 has Любите врагы вашя “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44).^[6] The Izbornik of 1076 says любить кнѧзь воина... борѭщаго сѧ съ врагы “the prince loves a warrior who fights the enemy”.^[7]

Semantic evolution

Old Russian любити covered “to love, to be attached to someone”, “to prefer”, “to admire” and “to kiss”.^[8][5] The sense “to kiss” is still the main one of Serbo-Croatian љубити; in Czech the verb came to mean “to please”, and in Sorbian “to promise”.^[8][2] SlRJa has любити with a thing as object, “to be fond of”, in the 11th–12th-century Sinai Patericon, and “to like (to do something)” in a document of 1571: многие любятъ носити нынѣ съ московского обычая “many now like to wear them in the Moscow fashion”.^[6] Chernykh notes that Old Russian did not use it in the sense of passionate love.^[8]

The modern dictionaries add “to need, to thrive in”, said of plants and things: plants that like warmth or shade.^[9] In Archangel dialect любить is said of a drink or remedy that “takes effect”.^[10]

Timeline

• 1056–1057 – Любите врагы вашя in the Ostromir Gospel.^[6]
• 1076 – любить кнѧзь воина in the Izbornik of 1076.^[7]
• 11th–12th centuries – “to be fond of (something)” in the Sinai Patericon.^[6]
• 1571 – “to like (doing something)” in a Polish embassy record.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To love: to feel deep affection for someone or something, to be devoted to them.^[11][9]
2. To be in love with someone, to feel desire for them.^[12][13]
3. To like, to be fond of something or of doing something, as любить театр, любить гулять.^[9]
4. To be pleased with what one likes: любить порядок, любить, когда хвалят.^[9]
5. (third person, of plants and things) To need or thrive in certain conditions: эти растения любят тень.^[9]

Word family

• полюбить
• влюбиться
• любимый
• любимец
• любитель
• любящий
• возлюбленный

Related words

• любовь
• любой
• любо
• любезный
• Old East Slavic любити (ljubiti)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 2, 544
3. ^ a b c d Shansky, N. M.; Zhuravlev, A. F. (eds.) (1963–2007), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь русского языка], vols. 1–10 (A–M), Moskva: Izdatel'stvo Moskovskogo universiteta, p. 9, s.v. любить
4. ^ Shansky, N. M.; Bobrova, T. A. (2004), Škol'nyj ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka [Школьный этимологический словарь русского языка], 7th ed., Moskva: Drofa, p. s.v. любить
5. ^ a b c Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 1, 484
6. ^ a b c d e Barkhudarov, S. G. et al. (eds.) (1975–), Slovar' russkogo jazyka XI–XVII vv. [Словарь русского языка XI–XVII вв.], vols. 1–31, Moskva: Nauka / Azbukovnik / Lexrus, p. 8, 327
7. ^ a b Avanesov, R. I. et al. (eds.) (1988–), Slovar' drevnerusskogo jazyka (XI–XIV vv.) [Словарь древнерусского языка (XI–XIV вв.)], vols. 1–13, Moskva: Russkij jazyk / Azbukovnik, p. 4, 465
8. ^ a b c Chernykh, P. Ya. (1993), Istoriko-ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Историко-этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Russkij jazyk, p. 1, s.v. любить
9. ^ a b c d e Ozhegov, S. I.; Shvedova, N. Yu. (1997), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4th ed., Moskva: Azbukovnik, p. s.v. любить
10. ^ Filin, F. P.; Sorokoletov, F. P.; Myznikov, S. A. (eds.) (1965–), Slovar' russkix narodnyx govorov [Словарь русских народных говоров], vols. 1–51, Moskva / Leningrad / Sankt-Peterburg: Nauka, p. 17, 236
11. ^ Evgen'eva, A. P. (ed.) (1981–1984), Slovar' russkogo jazyka v četyrex tomax [Словарь русского языка в 4 тт.] (MAS), 2nd ed., Moskva: Russkij jazyk, p. s.v. любить
12. ^ Ushakov, D. N. (ed.) (1935–1940), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4 vols., Moskva: Sovetskaja ènciklopedija / OGIZ, p. s.v. любить
13. ^ Efremova, T. F. (2000), Novyj slovar' russkogo jazyka. Tolkovo-slovoobrazovatel'nyj [Новый словарь русского языка. Толково-словообразовательный], 2 vols., Moskva: Russkij jazyk, p. s.v. любить