libet

Latin

Etymology 1

From lubet, from Proto-Italic *luβēt, from Proto-Indo-European stative *lubʰ-eh₁-(ye)-ti, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to love, care for, desire”). Cognate with English love, lief, German lieben, Liebe, Russian любить (ljubitʹ), Sanskrit लुभ्यति (lubhyati).

The unrounding of [u] to [i] is a regular sound change between /l/ and a labial consonant; see also līber (“free”), liber (“book”), and clipeus.

Alternative forms

• lubet

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈlɪ.bɛt]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈliː.bet]

Verb

libet (present infinitive libēre, perfect active libuit or libitus est, supine libitum); second conjugation, impersonal, optionally semi-deponent, no future active participle, no gerund

1. (with dative) to be pleasing; to be agreeable
   • 254-184 B.C.E., Plautus, Asinaria

     Dīc quod libet.

     "Say what you will." (literally: "Say what is pleasing.")

   • 106 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, Cato Maior de Senectute 12.42:

     Quōrsus hoc? Ut intellegerētis, sī voluptātem aspernārī ratiōne et sapientiā nōn possēmus, magnam habendam esse senectūtī grātiam, quae efficeret: ut id nōn libēret, quod nōn opertēret.

     To what [end] is this [discussion]? It is so that you might understand, that if we are unable to reject [the lure of] sensual pleasure through reason and wisdom, we must owe a great [debt of] gratitude to old age, for what it will bring about: that [sensual pleasure] will no [longer] be pleasing [to us], due to its being improper [to advanced age].
     (Nota bene: Be sure not to confuse libet, libēre, “to please,” with līberō, līberāre, “to set free.”)

Usage notes

Designates pleasure in something desired, while placeō in something recognised as right.

Conjugation

   Conjugation of libet (second conjugation, impersonal, optionally semi-deponent, no future active participle, no gerund)

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		—		libet		—		—		—
	imperfect	—		—		libēbat		—		—		—
	future	—		—		libēbit		—		—		—
	perfect	—		—		libuit, libitus est		—		—		—
	pluperfect	—		—		libuerat, libitus erat		—		—		—
	future perfect	—		—		libuerit, libitus erit		—		—		—
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		—		libeat		—		—		—
	imperfect	—		—		libēret		—		—		—
	perfect	—		—		libuerit, libitus sit		—		—		—
	pluperfect	—		—		libuisset, libitus esset		—		—		—
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	future	—		—		libētō		—		—		—
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		libēre			—			libēns			—
future		libitum īre			—			—			—
perfect		libuisse, libitum esse			—			libitus			—
future perfect		libitum fore			—			—			—
verbal nouns		gerund								supine
		genitive		dative		accusative		ablative		accusative		ablative
		—		—		—		—		libitum		libitū

Derived terms

• libēns
• libenter
• quīlibet
• quōlibet

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈliː.bɛt]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈliː.bet]

Verb

lībet

1. third-person singular present active subjunctive of lībō

References

• “libet”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “libet”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “libet”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Maltese

Root
l-b-t
4 terms

Etymology

Inherited from Arabic لَبَثَ (labaṯa).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɪ.bɛt/
• Rhymes: -ɪbɛt

Verb

libet (imperfect jilbet, past participle milbut, active participle liebet, verbal noun lbit)

1. to shrink, draw back, cower fearfully (as in a corner)
2. to flee, run away (as of an animal with a flight instinct)

Conjugation

Conjugation of libet (Form I)

positive forms
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	lbitt	lbitt	libet	lbitna	lbittu	libtu
	f			libtet
imperfect	m	nilbet	tilbet	jilbet	nilbtu	tilbtu	jilbtu
	f			tilbet
imperative			ilbet			ilbtu
negative forms
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	lbittx	lbittx	libet	lbitniex	lbittux	libtux
	f			libtitx
imperfect	m	nilbitx	tilbitx	jilbitx	nilbtux	tilbtux	jilbtux
	f			tilbitx
imperative			tilbitx			tilbtux

Norman

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

libet m (plural libets)

1. (Jersey, fishing) hoop net