Where does “lib” come from?
Lib comes from Middle English libben, from Old English libban, from Proto-Germanic libjaną, from Proto-Indo-European leip-, itself from ley-, ultimately from lew-.
lib (English): liberal; liberation; library
Definitions
- liberal; liberation; library
Ancestry of “lib”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | libbe | — |
| 2 | Old English | lybb | drug, medicine; poison; charm |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *lubi | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lubją | wort, herb; poison; love potion |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lewbʰ- | to desire, covet, want; to admire, praise; to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lēw- | to sound, resound, sing out; to leave |