Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “loving” come from?

Loving derives from English love, from Old English lōf, from Proto-Indo-European lāp-, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European h₂éwis.

loving (English): The action of the verb "to love"; Expressing a...

Definitions

  1. The action of the verb "to love"; Expressing a...

Ancestry of “loving”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishloveStrong affection; A person who is the object of...
2EnglishLove—
3Middle Englishlovelove
4Old Englishlufulove
5Proto-West Germanic*lubu—
6Proto-Germaniclubōlove, affection
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlewbʰ-to desire, covet, want; to admire, praise; to...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanlēw-to sound, resound, sing out; to leave

Words derived from “loving”

  • lovingly
  • unloving
  • lovingness
  • unlovingly
  • unlovingness
  • everloving
  • nonloving
  • motherloving
  • water-loving
  • boyloving
  • labing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lēw- →