leubh-

To care, desire; love.

Derivatives include livelong, belief, and libido.

I. Suffixed form *leubh-o-. lief; leman, livelong, from Old English lēof, dear, beloved, from Germanic *leubaz.

II. O-grade form *loubh-.

1.

a. leave², from Old English lēaf, permission (< “pleasure, approval”);

b. furlough, from Middle Dutch verlof, leave, permission (ver-, intensive prefix, from Germanic *fer-; see per¹);

c. belief, from Old English gelēafa, belief, faith, from Germanic *galaubō (*ga-, intensive prefix; see kom). a-c all from Germanic *laubō.

2. believe, from Old English gelēfan, belēfan, to believe, trust (be-, about; see ambhi), from Germanic *galaubjan, “to hold dear,” esteem, trust (*ga-, intensive prefix; see kom).

III. Zero-grade form *lubh-.

1. Suffixed form *lubh-ā-. love, from Old English lufu, love, from Germanic *lubō.

2. Suffixed (stative) form *lubh-ē-. quodlibet, from Latin libēre, to be dear, be pleasing.

3. libido, from Latin libīdō, pleasure, desire.

 

[Pokorny leubh- 683.]

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