Where does “Lief” come from?
Lief (Plautdietsch) comes from Middle Low German lif, from Old Saxon līf, from Proto-West Germanic līb, from Proto-Germanic lībą, from Proto-Germanic lībaną, from Proto-Indo-European leyp-, from Proto-Indo-European lēy- — to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave...
Lief (Plautdietsch): body
Definitions
- body
Ancestry of “Lief”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | lif | body; life; belly, abdomen |
| 2 | Old Saxon | līf | body |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | līb | body; life |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lībą | body; life |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lībaną | to remain, to be left |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leyp- | to stick; fat or sticky substance |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |