laf

See also: Laf

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch laf, from Proto-Germanic *laba-, from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely”). Cognate with German laff (“slack, insipid”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑf

Adjective

laf (comparative laffer, superlative lafst)

1. cowardly

   Maar de algemene regel is dat de man, "zwak of sterk", volgens Kuyper "Koning in zijn huis" is en dat "Een man die zijn vrouw in huis 'de baas laat spelen' laf en onmannelijk is.^[1] — But the general rule is that the man, "weak or strong," according to Kuyper "is king of his house" and that "a man who lets his wife 'play the boss' is cowardly and unmanly."

Inflection

Declension of laf
uninflected	laf
inflected	laffe
comparative	laffer
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		laf	laffer	het lafst het lafste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	laffe	laffere	lafste
	n. sing.	laf	laffer	lafste
	plural	laffe	laffere	lafste
definite		laffe	laffere	lafste
partitive		lafs	laffers	—

Derived terms

• lafheid
• lafaard

Descendants

• → Papiamentu: laf

Anagrams

• afl.

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Gagauz

Noun

laf

1. word

Derived terms

• laflık

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Icelandic

Etymology

Old Norse laf, from Proto-Germanic *lappa-, of uncertain origin, possibly Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely”). If so, doublet of lafa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laːv/
• Rhymes: -aːv

Noun

laf n (genitive singular lafs, nominative plural löf)

1. lap, skirt (of a coat)

Anagrams

• afl

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Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laːf/

Verb

laf

1. second-person singular imperative of lafen

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Middle English

Noun

laf

1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of lof (“loaf, bread”)

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Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *laibu, from Proto-Germanic *laibō. More at lǣfan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɑːf/

Noun

lāf f (nominative plural lāfe)

1. leavings, remains/remainder
2. legacy
3. heirloom
4. widow

Declension

Declension of lāf

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	lāf	lāfe, lāfa
accusative	lāfe	lāfe
genitive	lāfe	lāfa
dative	lāfe	lāfum

Descendants

• Middle English: love, lave, leve, loove, lafe, læve, loave (Early Middle English)
  • English: lave
  • Scots: lave

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Old Frisian

Ēn lāf.

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *laub, from Proto-Germanic *laubą, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to break”). Cognates include Old English lēaf, Old Saxon lōf and Old Dutch lōf.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaːf/

Noun

lāf n

1. leaf

Descendants

• West Frisian: leaf

References

• Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN

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Somali

Etymology

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Oromo lafee and Rendille laf.

Noun

laf ?

1. bone

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Turkish

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish لاف (laf, “boast; chat”), from Persian لاف (lâf).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laf/, /ɫɑf/

Noun

laf (definite accusative lafı, plural laflar)

1. (idiomatic) word

Declension

Inflection
Nominative	laf
Definite accusative	lafı
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	laf	laflar
Definite accusative	lafı	lafları
Dative	lafa	laflara
Locative	lafta	laflarda
Ablative	laftan	laflardan
Genitive	lafın	lafların
Possessive forms Nominative Singular Plural 1st singular lafım laflarım 2nd singular lafın lafların 3rd singular lafı lafları 1st plural lafımız laflarımız 2nd plural lafınız laflarınız 3rd plural lafları lafları Definite accusative Singular Plural 1st singular lafımı laflarımı 2nd singular lafını laflarını 3rd singular lafını laflarını 1st plural lafımızı laflarımızı 2nd plural lafınızı laflarınızı 3rd plural laflarını laflarını Dative Singular Plural 1st singular lafıma laflarıma 2nd singular lafına laflarına 3rd singular lafına laflarına 1st plural lafımıza laflarımıza 2nd plural lafınıza laflarınıza 3rd plural laflarına laflarına Locative Singular Plural 1st singular lafımda laflarımda 2nd singular lafında laflarında 3rd singular lafında laflarında 1st plural lafımızda laflarımızda 2nd plural lafınızda laflarınızda 3rd plural laflarında laflarında Ablative Singular Plural 1st singular lafımdan laflarımdan 2nd singular lafından laflarından 3rd singular lafından laflarından 1st plural lafımızdan laflarımızdan 2nd plural lafınızdan laflarınızdan 3rd plural laflarından laflarından Genitive Singular Plural 1st singular lafımın laflarımın 2nd singular lafının laflarının 3rd singular lafının laflarının 1st plural lafımızın laflarımızın 2nd plural lafınızın laflarınızın 3rd plural laflarının laflarının

References

• “laf”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “laf”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Redhouse, James W. (1890) “لاف”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎^[2], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 1619

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Volapük

Noun

laf (nominative plural lafs)

1. half

Declension

declension of laf

	singular	plural
nominative	laf	lafs
genitive	lafa	lafas
dative	lafe	lafes
accusative	lafi	lafis
vocative 1	o laf!	o lafs!
predicative 2	lafu	lafus

• ¹ status as a case is disputed
• ² in later, non-classical Volapük only