# lief
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English lef, leve, leef, from Old English lēof, from Proto-West Germanic *leub, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian ljo, ljoo, West Frisian leaf, Dutch lief, German Low German leev, German lieb, Swedish and Norwegian Nynorsk ljuv, Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍆𐍃 (liufs), Russian любо́вь (ljubóvʹ), Polish luby.
For the adverb, compare German lieber, Dutch liever (“preferably, rather”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /liːf/
** Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -iːf
* Homophone: leaf

### Adjective

lief (comparative liefer or liever, superlative liefest or lievest)
* (archaic) Beloved, dear, agreeable.
* (archaic) Ready, willing.

#### Synonyms

* (beloved): See Thesaurus:beloved

#### Derived terms

* liefsome

#### Related terms

* alderliefest
* leman
* livelong

#### Translations
### Adverb

lief (comparative liefer or liever, superlative liefest)
* (archaic) Readily, willingly, rather.
    I'd as lief have one as t'other.
** c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:1. Gent. And thou the Veluet; thou art good veluet; thou'rt a three pild-peece I warrant thee: I had as liefe be a Lyst of an English Kersey, as be pil'd, as thou art pil'd, for a French Veluet. [...]
** 1826, Thomas Byerly, John Timbs, The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction:As far as physiognomy goes, the winners protest that they would as lief have foregone the double points, and the money.
** 1869, RD Blackmoore, Lorna Doone, section II:these great masters of the art, who would far liefer see us little ones practice it, than themselves engage [...].
** 1880, Richard Francis Burton, Os Lusíadas, volume II, page 339:Since sware the Parcæ unto me, their friend, / they shall adore my name, my favour prize; / and, as their feats of armèd prowess shend / all feats of rival Rome, I lief devise / some mode of aidance in what things I may, / far as our force o'er man extendeth sway.
** 1902, Josephine Spenser, Corner in Chrysanthemums:I'd as lief put on my hat and cane and help you if you think they'll be too heavy.

#### Derived terms

* liefer/liever

#### Translations
### Quotations

* For quotations using this term, see Citations:lief.

### Anagrams

* flie, filé, File, elif, life, Fiel, Life, file

## Afrikaans
### Etymology

From Dutch lief, from Middle Dutch lief, from Old Dutch *liof, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-.

### Adjective

lief (attributive liefe, comparative liefer, superlative liefste)
* nice, sweet

### Noun

lief (plural lieve)
* one's beloved in a romantic relationship, i.e. a boyfriend or girlfriend

## Dutch
### Etymology

From Middle Dutch lief, from Old Dutch *liof, from Proto-West Germanic *leub, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /lif/, [lif]
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: lief
* Rhymes: -if

### Adjective

lief (comparative liever, superlative liefst)
* nice, sweet, lovely
    Synonym: aardig
    Zij heeft een lieve glimlach. ― She has a sweet smile.
    De jongen is heel lief voor zijn hond. ― The boy is very kind to his dog.
    Doesburg is een lief stadje. ― Doesburg is a lovely little town.
* beloved, dear
    Lieve zus, van harte gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag. ― Dearest sister, congratulations on your birthday.
    Diepbedroefd geven wij kennis van het overlijden van mijn lieve man en onze zorgzame vader. ― Deeply saddened, we announce the death of my beloved husband and our caring father.

#### Usage notes

* Inappropriate as a salutation in formal or business correspondence; geachte (formal) or beste (somewhat informal) are used instead.

#### Derived terms

* lieflijk
* lieve help
* lieveling
* Onze Lieve Heer
* van lieverlee

#### Related terms

* liefde
* liefhebben

#### Descendants

* Afrikaans: lief
* Negerhollands: lief
* Papiamentu: lif

### Noun

lief n (plural lieven, diminutive liefje n)
* one's beloved in a romantic relationship, i.e. a boyfriend or girlfriend

#### Usage notes

* May be used as a term of address for romantic partners or loved ones, particularly the diminutive liefje/lieffie and the related substantivized superlative liefste. May be perceived as condescending or sexist as a term of address to strangers or work relations.

### Anagrams

* file

## German
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [liːf]
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -iːf

### Verb

lief
* first/third-person singular preterite of laufen

## Luxembourgish
### Verb

lief
* second-person singular imperative of liewen

## Middle Dutch
### Etymology

From Old Dutch *liof, from Proto-West Germanic *leub.

### Adjective

lief
* loved, dear
* sweet, nice

#### Derived terms

* lieven

#### Descendants

* Dutch: lief
* Limburgish: leef

### Further reading

* “lief (III)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
* Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “lief (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I

## Norman
### Alternative forms

* lyef (Sark)

### Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

### Noun

lief m (plural liefs)
* (Jersey) roof

## Old Frisian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈli̯ɛːf/

### Adjective

liēf
* Old West Frisian form of liāf

#### References

* Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 115

## Old Spanish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈljeɸ]?

### Adjective

lief (plural lieues)
* Apocopic form of lieue; light, effortless
** c. 1200, Almerich, Fazienda de Ultramar, f. 42v:ca aſſi diz el criador. fazed en eſta torriente muchos pozos enõ ueredes pluuia nj uiẽto en conplir ſea eſta torriente de agua. beuredes uos e ur̃as beſtias lief coſa es eſta delant el c̃ador […]“For thus says the Creator, ‘Make in this streambed many ditches. And you will see neither rain nor wind, but this streambed will be filled with water. You and your beasts will drink. This is a light thing before the Creator […] .’”

## Scots
### Alternative forms

* (contracted) lee

### Etymology

From Middle English lef.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [lif]

### Adjective

lief (comparative liefer, superlative liefest)
* dear, beloved

## Yola
### Alternative forms

* life

### Etymology

From Middle English lyf, from Old English līf, from Proto-West Germanic *līb.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /liːf/

### Noun

lief
* life

### References

* Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 54

## Zealandic
### Etymology

From Middle Dutch lijf, from Old Dutch līf, from Proto-West Germanic *līb.

### Noun

lief n (plural [please provide])
* body