Etymology Explorer › Tok Pisin

Where does “lav” come from?

lav (Tok Pisin) comes from English Love, from Middle English love, 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.

lav (Tok Pisin): love

Definitions

  1. love

Ancestry of “lav”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishLove—
2Middle Englishlovelove
3Old Englishlufulove
4Proto-West Germanic*lubu—
5Proto-Germaniclubōlove, affection
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlewbʰ-to desire, covet, want; to admire, praise; to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlēw-to sound, resound, sing out; to leave
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lēw- →