Where does “leef” come from?
leef (Afrikaans) comes from Dutch leven, from Middle Dutch lēven, from Old Dutch libben, from Proto-West Germanic libbjan, from Proto-Germanic libjaną, from Proto-Indo-European leyp-, from Proto-Indo-European lēy- — to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave...
leef (Afrikaans): to live
Ancestry of “leef”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | leven | to live; life |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | lēven | — |
| 3 | Old Dutch | libben | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | libbjan | to live, to be alive |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | libjaną | to live, to be alive |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leyp- | to stick; fat or sticky substance |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |
Words derived from “leef”