Liebe

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[edit] German

[edit] Etymology

From Middle High German Liebe (the quality of love, pleasure, joy, favour, love), from the Old High German Liob \ Lioba (fortune, health, pleasantness, joy), from Germanic *leuba- \ *leubam (love), from Proto-Indo-European *lubh-, a verb meaning to enjoy, to long for.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

Liebe f. (genitive Liebe, plural Lieben)

  1. (no plural) love (tender feeling of affection)
    • 1787 CE: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Egmont
      Und konnte ich fürchten, daß diese unglückliche Liebe das kluge Klärchen so bald hinreißen würde? Ich muß es nun tragen, daß meine Tochter--
      And could I imagine, that this unhappy love would so soon carry away the prudent little Klara? I must endure it now, that my daughter--
  2. (no plural) lust (sexually or erotically motivated inclination)
  3. (no plural) sexual intercourse (bodily union as a result of lust)
  4. (informal): short for love affair
  5. love (term of endearment)
  6. (plural) loves, loved ones (members of one's family or close friends)
    • 1784 CE: Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, Kabale und Liebe
      Ihr steht bestürzt, guten Leute, erwartet angstvoll, wie sich das Räthsel entwickeln wird?--Kommt näher, meine Lieben!--Ihr dientet mir redlich und warm [...]
      You stand dismayed, good people, worry fearfully how the riddle will develop?--Come closer, my loves!--You served me fairly and warmly [...]

[edit] Usage notes

In the Bavarian dialect, this word becomes Liab; in Swiss German, Liäbi or Liebi; in the Swabian dialect, Liab.

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Antonyms

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Related terms

[edit] References

  • Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm : "Liebe"
  • Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon Liebe
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