lief

From Middle English leef, leve, lef, from Old English lēof, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz. Cognate with Saterland Frisian ljo, ljoo, West Frisian leaf, Dutch lief, German Low German leev, German lieb, Swedish and Norwegian Nynorsk ljuv, Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍆𐍃 (liufs), Russian любо́вь (ljubóvʹ), Polish luby.

For the adverb, compare German lieber, Dutch liever (“preferably, rather”).

• IPA^(key): /liːf/
• Rhymes: -iːf
• Homophone: leaf

lief (comparative liefer or liever, superlative liefest or lievest)

1. (archaic) Beloved, dear, agreeable.
2. (archaic) Ready, willing.

• (beloved): See Thesaurus:beloved

• liefsome

• leman
• livelong

lief (comparative liefer or liever, superlative liefest)

1. (archaic, except UK dialectal) Readily, willingly, rather.
   • 1826, Thomas Byerly, ‎John Timbs, The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction:

     As far as physiognomy goes, the winners protest that they would as lief have foregone the double points, and the money.

   • 1869, RD Blackmoore, Lorna Doone, II:

     these great masters of the art, who would far liefer see us little ones practice it, than themselves engage [...].

   • 1902: "Corner in Chrysanthemums" by Josephine Spenser

     I'd as lief put on my hat and cane and help you if you think they'll be too heavy.

   I'd as lief have one as t'other.

• liefer/liever

• For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:lief.

• File, Life, file, filé, flie, life

From Middle Dutch lief, from Old Dutch *liof, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-.

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -if
• IPA^(key): [lif]

lief (comparative liever, superlative liefst)

1. nice, sweet
2. beloved

• lieflijk
• lieveling

• liefde
• liefhebben

lief n (plural lieven, diminutive liefje n)

1. one's beloved in a romantic relationship, i.e. a boyfriend or girlfriend

• liever
• liefde

• file

• IPA^(key): [liːf]
• Rhymes: -iːf

lief

1. First-person singular preterite of laufen.
2. Third-person singular preterite of laufen.

lief

1. second-person singular imperative of liewen

From Old Dutch *liof, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-.

lief

1. loved, dear
2. sweet, nice

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

• lieven

• Dutch: lief
• Limburgish: leef

• “lief (III)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “lief (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, 1929

• lyef (Sark)

lief m (plural liefs)

1. (Jersey) roof

• (contracted) lee

From Old English lēof, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz.

• IPA^(key): [lif]

lief (comparative liefer, superlative liefest)

1. dear, beloved

lief

1. life

• J. Poole W. Barnes, A Glossary, with Some Pieces of Verse, of the Old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy (1867)

From Middle Dutch lijf, from Old Dutch līf, from Proto-Germanic *lībą.

lief n (plural [please provide])

1. body