lief
pronunciation
How to pronounce lief in British English:
UK [li:f]
How to pronounce lief in American English:
US [lif]
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- Adjective:
- (`lief' is archaic) very willing
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- Adverb:
- in a willing manner
Word Origin
- lief (adj.)
- Old English leof "dear, valued, beloved, pleasant;" also as a noun, "a beloved person, friend," from Proto-Germanic *leubo- (cognates: Old Norse ljutr, Old Frisian liaf, Dutch lief, Old High German liob, German lieb, Gothic liufs "dear, beloved"), from PIE root *leubh- "love" (see love (n.)). As an adverb, "dearly, willingly" from c. 1250. I want and I'd love to are overworked and misused to fill the hole left in the language when I would lief faded in 17c.
Example
- 1. I love you too in the next lief .
- 2. Level 45 woodcutting and an axe to help lumberjack lief .
- 3. Let lief beautiful like summer flowers and death like autumn leaves .
- 4. Mick 's children ! Repulsive thought ! As lief have a child to a rabbit ! Tommy dukes ? He was very nice , but somehow you couldn 't associate him with a baby , another generation . He ended in himself .
- 5. Associated press quoted shanghai-based agriculture analyst lief chiang , of rabobank , as saying on tuesday that numerous other factors were behind the increase in global wheat prices , including flooding in australia , drought in russia and an early frost in canada .