leofre

Old English

Alternative forms

• līofre

Etymology

The adverbial use dates back at least to Proto-West Germanic, when the word would have been *leubōzā. This usage persists into Modern German to this day: Proto-West Germanic *miz isti leubōzā (“I would rather”) → Old English mē is lēofre, German mir ist lieber.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈle͜oːf.re/, [ˈle͜oːv.re]

Adjective

lēofre

1. inflection of lēof:
   1. strong genitive and dative feminine singular
   2. nominative feminine singular comparative degree
   3. nominative and accusative neuter singular comparative degree

Adverb

lēofre

1. used to specify a choice or preference: rather
   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans

     Him wæs lēofre þæt hine man ofslōge þonne hine man ġebunde.

     He would rather be killed than be bound in chains.

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, the Old English Hexateuch, Genesis 29:19

     Lēofre mē is þæt iċ hīe selle þē þonne ōðrum menn. Wuna mid mē!

     I'd rather give her to you than to someone else. Stay with me!

   • c. 1000, unknown author, Vercelli Homily IX

     Ġif hwelċ mann biþ on helle āne niht, þonne biþ him lēofre þæt hē hangiġe seofon þūsende wintra on þām lenġestan treowe ufeweardum.

     Anyone who spends one day in hell would rather hang for seven thousand years from the top of the tallest tree.

   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans

     Hīe cwǣdon þæt him lēofre wǣre þæt hīe mid þǣre byrġ ætgædere forwurden þonne hīe man būtan him tōwurpe.

     They said that they would rather perish together with the city than for it to be destroyed without them.

   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans

     Scīpio ġebræġd his sweord and swōr þæt him lēofre wǣre þæt hē hine selfne ācwealde þonne hē forlēte his fæderēðel, and sæġde ēac þæt hē þāra ǣlċes wolde ēhtan swā swā his fēondes þe þæs wordes wǣre þæt fram Rōme byrġ þōhte.

     Scipio drew his sword and swore that he would rather kill himself than desert his fatherland, and said that he would pursue anyone as his enemy who confessed they planned to leave Rome.

   • c. 1005, Ælfric's Letter to Sigeweard

     Hū mæġ sē mann wel faran þe his mōd āwent fram eallum þissum bōcum, and biþ him swā ānwille þæt him lēofre biþ þæt hē libbe ǣfre be his āgnum dihte āsċīred fram þissum, swelċe hē ne cunne Cristes ġesetnessa?

     How can someone do well if they turn their mind from all these books [stuff that Ælfric wrote], if they're so stubborn that they would rather live their life always making their own separate judgments, as if they don't know the laws of Christ?

Descendants

• Middle English: leever
  • English: liever