Where does “live” come from?
Live comes from Middle English libben, from Old English libban, from Proto-Germanic libjaną, from Proto-Indo-European leip-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ley-.
live (English): To be alive; to have life; To have permanent...
Definitions
- To be alive; to have life; To have permanent...
Ancestry of “live”, step by step
live traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English alive
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | alive | Having life; living; not dead; In a state of... |
| 2 | Middle English | alyve | alive, living |
| 3 | Old English | on līfe | in life |
via Middle English lefe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lefe | — |