Where does “lif” come from?
lif (Volapük) comes from English life, from Middle English lyf, from Old English 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...
lif (Volapük): life
Ancestry of “lif”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | life | The state of organisms preceding their death,... |
| 2 | Middle English | lyf | life |
| 3 | Old English | līf | life, existence; life-time |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | līb | body; life |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lībą | body; life |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lībaną | to remain, to be left |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | leyp- | to stick; fat or sticky substance |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |