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; strong and deep affection

Definitions

  1. love; strong and deep affection

Ancestry of “love”, step by step

love traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English lufu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishlufulove
2Proto-West Germanic*lubulove
3Proto-Germaniclubōlove, affection
4Proto-Indo-Europeanlewbʰ-to desire, covet, want; to admire, praise; to...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanlēw-to sound, resound, sing out; to leave

via Old Norse lófi

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norselófithe palm or hollow of the hand
2Proto-Germaniclōfôthe palm or hollow of the hand
3Proto-Indo-Europeanlāp-to shine; cow

Words derived from “love”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European lēw- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewbʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic lubō →