Middle English Dictionary Entry
lẹ̄f n.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | lẹ̄f n.(2) Also lefe, leffe, leve, leof, leove, lof, love, lief, lieve, leif, līf, luef, luf. |
| Etymology | OE lēof n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A beloved person, male or female; a sweetheart, darling; (b) a wife, also fig.; (c) a friend; ~ and dere, friend and dear one; -- also addressed to one's son; ~ and loth, friend and foe, everyone; ~ ne (no) loth, the loth ne the ~, friend nor enemy, anyone at all; for ~ ne loth, for ~ nor for loth, for friend nor foe, for no one; on no account; for ~ or (for) loth, absolutely, without fail; fro ~ to loth, from a friend into an enemy; (d) what one likes, a pleasure.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275 LSSerm.(Clg A.9)188/63 : Hwenne heo to chirche comeþ, to þe haliday, Eueruch wile his leof iseon.
- a1300(c1250) Floris (Vit D.3)86 : Mid traisun þou me hast mi lef binome.
- a1350 Horn (Hrl 2253)32/564 : Ygraued is on þe rynge rymenild þy luef, þe ȝynge.
- a1350 My deþ (Hrl 2253)16 : Þou lete me lyue and be þi luef ant þou my suete lemman.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)2321 : Þe king bisouȝt Ygerne of gras, Þat sche schold ben his lef.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)13/279 : Ber þis sonde Me leue swet!
- a1350 Wer þer ouþer (Rwl D.913)6 : Welle wo was so hardy forte make my lef al blody.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2180 : Þei neyȝþed so neiȝh..þere william & his worþi lef were liand i-fere.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)3238 : Kys me, gode lef..ones for al þys nuye.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))SSol.1.8 : To my riding in charis of Farao I licnede thee, O! my leef [WB(2): frendesse; L amica].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3393 : Men seith right thus, alwey the nye slye Maketh the ferre leeue to be looth.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3792 : God woot, my swete lief, I am thyn Absolon, thy derelyng.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1203 : Thei speden that ben most untrewe And loven every day a newe, Wherof the lief is after loth.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.2486 : Sche ansuerde..And seide how that abedde al warm Hir lief lay naked in hir arm.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.1901 : Who that is slyh In place where he mai be nyh, He makth the ferre Lieve loth.
- a1400(c1250) Floris (Eg 2862)108 : Ne myȝt him glade game ne gle, For he myȝt not his lyf see.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2902 : Damoysels makeþ mournyng Whan her leues shullen make partyng.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.3 : O sonnes lief, O Joves doughter deere, Plesance of love.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)2533 : Hym thout hyt was a fayer leef..And bygan onnoon to wowe.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)636 : My leif here..hath made his oth.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)637 : The damesell..euer hilde hir lief by the right hande.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)693 : I shall neuer speke..with noon other saf only with my leef.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)385/586 : Youre leyfys and youre females, ye brake youre wedlake.
- a1500 My hert ys (Dub 158)3 : Tyll y onys may sse my leffe it wyll not com owt off my mynd.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)2.33 : What man be merciful and lelly me loue Schal be my lorde, and I his leef in þeheiȝe heuene.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)939 : Þe aungelez..enforsed alle fawre forth..Þo wern Loth and his lef, his luflyche deȝter.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)1427 : Dame, I ham here, Thy spouse and thy trewe fere; Arys uppe..Goode lef, and let me inne.
c
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)44 : Þer ne þerf he him binimen þe laðe ne þe loue [vrr. lieue, leoue, leue].
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)175 : He..sigeð eure fro ȝuweðe to helde, fro hele to unhele, fro wenliche to ateliche, fro lieue to loðe, fro wurðe to unwurðe.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)139 : Ore louerd makede hire [Maudleyne] is procuratour, his leof, and is hostesse.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)261 : Þanne he hauede taken þis oth Of erles, baruns, lef and loth.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)440 : Alle haueden sworen him oth, Riche and poure, lef and loth.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2379 : Ne leten he nouth for lef ne loth Þat he ne foren swiþe rathe.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2775 : He ne sholden, for lef ne loth, Neuere more ageyn him go.
- c1325 Byrd one brere (KC Muniments 2.W.32)4 : Blid-ful biryd on me þu rewe, or greyd, lef, greid þu me my graue.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1322 : I make an oth That neuere in my lif, for lief ne loth, Ne shal I of no conseil yow biwreye.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)934 : One of hem swore hys oþe Þat he ne wlde, for lefe ne loþe, Halew more..Þan hyt was wnt to be done.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)12626 : Qui did þou þus, mi leif and dere [Trin-C: leof & dere; Frf: sone dere]?
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.44 : Þe duke..ageyn Eilred he nam..& said, 'lefe & dere, My lond is at þi wille.'
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.75 : William þe kyng..suore a grete othe þat he suld neuer spare Noiþer lefe no lothe northeren, what so þei ware..Whan þe Danes herd þat William held his oth, Þat he with þe Norreis so ferd, spared lefe no loth.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2852 : Sche..made hym lowly þer-on to take his othe..ouþer for lefe or for lothe, Þat he hir schulde take vn-to his wife.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1639 : And make there his oth Upon the goddes, that he for lef or loth Ne sholde nevere hire false.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)10915 : When he had homage of lef & loþ, Hostages he tok to halde þer oþ.
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)103/74 : Those blinde people sware manie an othe that nother for leefe nor for loth at anie tyme they would them wroth.
d
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)250 : Þer inne boð þa þe was to lof [vrr. leof, lef] wreche men to swenchen.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.1585 : Men seyn..'whoso wol han lief, he lief moot lete.'
2.
(a) The spiritual beloved of God or Christ, considered as male or (usually) female; (b) God or Christ as the soul's beloved.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)48/29,30 : Cum, leof, to þi lif..Leof, hihe þe to me.
- c1225 St.Juliana (Roy 17.A.27)30/246 : Iuliane þe edie, mi leof [Bod: leofmon], þu hauest for mi luue muchel idrohen.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)72/14 : Incrassatus est dilectus & recalcitrauit. 'Mi leof is ifeatteð,' he seið ure lauerd, '& smit me wið his hele.'
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)199/26 : Dude him i turneiment & hefde for his leoues [Nero: leof-monnes; Recl.: lemmans] luue his scheld i feht as kene cniht on euche half iþurlet.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)8.219 : Heyl, my leef [vr. luf], I wondre þat þou knowest me nouȝt.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1066 : If þou wyl..lelly lovy þy Lorde, and his leef worþe..conforme þe to Kryst.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)418 : My Lorde þe Lombe..toke myself to hys maryage..And sesed in alle hys herytage Hys lef is; I am holy hysse.
- c1440 HBk.GDei (Thrn:Horstmann)305 : Ryse, he sayse..my lefe, my faire thynge.
b
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)785 : We schulen lustnin hu þi lauerd & ti leof..wule werien to dei þine leasunges.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)52/19 : En dilectus meus loquitur michi..'low,' ha seið, 'hercne. Ich ihere mi leof [Nero: leofmon] speoken; he cleopeð me, ich mot gan.'
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)193/7 : Venit dilectus meus saliens in montibus..'Mi leof kimeð leapinde,' ha seið, 'o þe dunes.'
- c1390 Talking LGod (Vrn)2/25 : Ihesu mi lord, my leof, my lyf.
- c1440(?a1375) Abbey HG (Thrn)56/11 : It fallis somtyme of tho þat God hertly lufes..þer hertes synges murnynge songes of lufe-longynge to þaire lefe.
3.
(a) As a polite or considerate form of address: sir, lord; (b) ?as an interjection: why!, look!, dear me!, indeed!
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)30/24 : La, leof, let me fyrst, & ic þin feoh forȝylde.
- c1175(?OE) HRood (Bod 343)6/6 : Hwæt eart þu, la leof, þe me on þas tid ȝeciȝdest?
- c1175(?OE) HRood (Bod 343)8/10 : Ða spæc ðe cniht to dauid diȝlum wordum & þus cwæð: 'Ȝif ic wiste, leof, þet du mine word hældan woldest..þonne wolde ic ðe sceawian ȝyt sum ðare ðingæ.
- a1225(?OE) Vsp.A.Hom.(Vsp A.22)235 : Numquid potest mulier obliuisci infantem..þat is; la lief, maȝie wiman forȝeten his oge cild?
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)12/6 : '[M]e, leoue, 'quoð ha, 'hwar-to luste þe warpen al awei þine hwile?'
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1888 : 'Late we nouth þise doges fle..Cometh swiþe and folwes me!'..'Ya! leue, ya!' quod roberd sone.
- c1400(c1382) Wycl.PRSchism.(Dub 244)257 : But, leve, take heed to Cristis wordis.
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)1 : Lef, lythes to me Two wordes or thre.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)110/249 : I am full werie, lefe, late me slepe.
- a1475 Leve lystynes (Brog 2.1)p.29 : Leve, lystynes to me Two wordys or thre, And herkenes to my songe.
b
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.431 : Thanne wolde I seye 'good lief, taak keep, How mekely looketh Wilkyn oure sheep!'
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)80 : And lefe alle þeis or ani oþer lawis..wan þei ar not wiþ þo gospel..þei are aȝen Goddis law.
- a1500(?c1378) Wycl.OPastor.(Ryl Eng 86)454 : Ȝif he do good to þe chirche in preiyng or in studiynge, leue, what is þis to herdis offis, al ȝif it dispose men þerto?