Lief
/liːf/noun
Willingly, gladly, or readily; also an archaic adjective meaning dear or beloved.
Did you know?Lief comes from the same ancient Germanic root as love and beloved, so its softness is literally built from the language of affection.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*leubaz
“dear, beloved, pleasing”
Old English
OE
lēof
“dear, beloved, pleasant; willingly”
Old Norse
ON
ljúfr
“dear, agreeable, pleasant”
Middle English
ME
lef
“dear; willingly, gladly”
Modern English
English
lief
“gladly; willingly; dear, beloved (archaic)”