Where does “love” come from?
love (Middle English) comes from Old English lufu, from Proto-West Germanic *lubu, from Proto-Germanic lubō, from Proto-Indo-European lewbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European lēw- — to sound, resound, sing out; to leave.
love (Middle English): love
Ancestry of “love”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | lufu | love |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *lubu | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | lubō | love, affection |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | lewbʰ- | to desire, covet, want; to admire, praise; to... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lēw- | to sound, resound, sing out; to leave |
Words derived from “love”