"lef" meaning in Middle English

See lef in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /leːf/
Etymology: From Old English lēof, līof, from Proto-West Germanic *leub, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz. Etymology templates: {{inh|enm|ang|lēof|lēof, līof}} Old English lēof, līof, {{inh|enm|gmw-pro|*leub}} Proto-West Germanic *leub, {{inh|enm|gem-pro|*leubaz}} Proto-Germanic *leubaz Head templates: {{head|enm|adjective||{{{1}}}||{{{2}}}||{{{3}}}|head=}} lef, {{enm-adj}} lef
  1. beloved, dear
    Sense id: en-lef-enm-adj-hvZau-ni Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 50 50
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: leve, lefe, leffe, life, live, luf [Southern, West-Midlands]

Adverb

IPA: /leːf/
Etymology: From Old English lēof, līof, from Proto-West Germanic *leub, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz. Etymology templates: {{inh|enm|ang|lēof|lēof, līof}} Old English lēof, līof, {{inh|enm|gmw-pro|*leub}} Proto-West Germanic *leub, {{inh|enm|gem-pro|*leubaz}} Proto-Germanic *leubaz Head templates: {{head|enm|adverb||||{{{2}}}|head=}} lef, {{enm-adv}} lef
  1. beloved, dear
    Sense id: en-lef-enm-adv-hvZau-ni Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 50 50
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: leve, lefe, leffe, life, live, luf [Southern, West-Midlands]

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "lēof",
        "4": "lēof, līof"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English lēof, līof",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*leub"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *leub",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*leubaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *leubaz",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old English lēof, līof, from Proto-West Germanic *leub, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "adjective",
        "3": "",
        "4": "{{{1}}}",
        "5": "",
        "6": "{{{2}}}",
        "7": "",
        "8": "{{{3}}}",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "lef",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "lef",
      "name": "enm-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "50 50",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "I have so many idle thoughts / Purely from lack of sleep / That I swear I take no heed / Of anything, whether it comes or goes, / And nothing is either dear to me or hated.",
          "roman": "I have so many an ydel thoght / Purely for defaulte of slepe / That by my trouthe I take no kepe / Of noo thinge how hyt cometh or gooth / Ne me nys no thynge leve nor looth",
          "text": "c. 1368, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Book of the Duchess, as recorded c. 1440–1450 in Bodleian Library MS. Fairfax 16, folio 130r",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "beloved, dear"
      ],
      "id": "en-lef-enm-adj-hvZau-ni",
      "links": [
        [
          "beloved",
          "beloved"
        ],
        [
          "dear",
          "dear"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/leːf/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "leve"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "lefe"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "leffe"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "life"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "live"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "Southern",
        "West-Midlands"
      ],
      "word": "luf"
    }
  ],
  "word": "lef"
}

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "lief"
          },
          "expansion": "English: lief",
          "name": "desc"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "livelong",
            "der": "1",
            "nolb": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "⇒ livelong",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: lief; ⇒ livelong"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "lief",
            "3": "lee"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: lief, lee",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: lief, lee"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "yol",
            "2": "liveer",
            "der": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "⇒ Yola: liveer",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "⇒ Yola: liveer"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "lēof",
        "4": "lēof, līof"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English lēof, līof",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*leub"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *leub",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*leubaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *leubaz",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old English lēof, līof, from Proto-West Germanic *leub, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "adverb",
        "3": "",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "6": "{{{2}}}",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "lef",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "lef",
      "name": "enm-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "50 50",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "beloved, dear"
      ],
      "id": "en-lef-enm-adv-hvZau-ni",
      "links": [
        [
          "beloved",
          "beloved"
        ],
        [
          "dear",
          "dear"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/leːf/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "leve"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "lefe"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "leffe"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "life"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "live"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "Southern",
        "West-Midlands"
      ],
      "word": "luf"
    }
  ],
  "word": "lef"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English adjectives",
    "Middle English adverbs",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old English",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Pages with 6 entries",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "lēof",
        "4": "lēof, līof"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English lēof, līof",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*leub"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *leub",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*leubaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *leubaz",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old English lēof, līof, from Proto-West Germanic *leub, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "adjective",
        "3": "",
        "4": "{{{1}}}",
        "5": "",
        "6": "{{{2}}}",
        "7": "",
        "8": "{{{3}}}",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "lef",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "lef",
      "name": "enm-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "I have so many idle thoughts / Purely from lack of sleep / That I swear I take no heed / Of anything, whether it comes or goes, / And nothing is either dear to me or hated.",
          "roman": "I have so many an ydel thoght / Purely for defaulte of slepe / That by my trouthe I take no kepe / Of noo thinge how hyt cometh or gooth / Ne me nys no thynge leve nor looth",
          "text": "c. 1368, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Book of the Duchess, as recorded c. 1440–1450 in Bodleian Library MS. Fairfax 16, folio 130r",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "beloved, dear"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "beloved",
          "beloved"
        ],
        [
          "dear",
          "dear"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/leːf/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "leve"
    },
    {
      "word": "lefe"
    },
    {
      "word": "leffe"
    },
    {
      "word": "life"
    },
    {
      "word": "live"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Southern",
        "West-Midlands"
      ],
      "word": "luf"
    }
  ],
  "word": "lef"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English adjectives",
    "Middle English adverbs",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old English",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Pages with 6 entries",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "lief"
          },
          "expansion": "English: lief",
          "name": "desc"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "livelong",
            "der": "1",
            "nolb": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "⇒ livelong",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: lief; ⇒ livelong"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "lief",
            "3": "lee"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: lief, lee",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: lief, lee"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "yol",
            "2": "liveer",
            "der": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "⇒ Yola: liveer",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "⇒ Yola: liveer"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "lēof",
        "4": "lēof, līof"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English lēof, līof",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*leub"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *leub",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*leubaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *leubaz",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old English lēof, līof, from Proto-West Germanic *leub, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "adverb",
        "3": "",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "6": "{{{2}}}",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "lef",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "lef",
      "name": "enm-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "beloved, dear"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "beloved",
          "beloved"
        ],
        [
          "dear",
          "dear"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/leːf/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "leve"
    },
    {
      "word": "lefe"
    },
    {
      "word": "leffe"
    },
    {
      "word": "life"
    },
    {
      "word": "live"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Southern",
        "West-Midlands"
      ],
      "word": "luf"
    }
  ],
  "word": "lef"
}

Download raw JSONL data for lef meaning in Middle English (4.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-10 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (df33d17 and 4ed51a5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.