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LEÓF

  • adjective
  • adverb
Dictionary links
Grammar
LEÓF, adj.
Wright's OE grammar
§137; §173; §208; §209; §218; §235; §276; §294; §426; §443; §444; §620;
LIEF, desirable, pleasant, acceptable, loved, beloved, dear; used substantively, one who is dear, a friend, loved one
Show examples

  • Se ðe gód onginneþ and ðonne áblinneþ ne biþ hé Godes leóf on ðæm néhstan dæge

    he who begins good and then ceases, will not be God's friend at the last day,

    • Blickl. Homl. 21, 35.

  • Wæs hé eallum his geférum leóf

    he was dear to all his companions,

    • 213, 12
      • :
    • Cd. 4
      • ;
    • Th. 5, 30
      • ;
    • Gen. 79
      • .

  • Hé wæs leóf Gode,

    • 130
      • ;
    • Th. 165, 26
      • ;
    • Gen. 2737
      • .

  • Ealre his þeóde leófheora ríce tó habbanne and tó healdenne

    totæ suæ genti ad tenenda servandaque regni sceptra exoptatissimus,

    • Bd. 5, 19
      • ;
    • S. 636, 33
      • .

  • Ne ǽnig mon ne leóf ne láð

    no man, neither friend nor foe,

    • Beo. Th. 1026
      • ;
    • B. 511
      • .

  • Gode is swíðe leóf ðæt gé earmum mannum syllon

    it is very acceptable to God, that you give to poor men,

    • Blickl. Homl. 53, 28.

  • On ða tíd wæs mannum leóf ofor eorþan and hálwende

    at that time it was pleasant for men upon earth, and healthful,

    • 115, 8
      • .

  • Ðá cwæþ Petrus and Andreas tó Johanne ðú leófa drihten gecýðe ús hwylce gemete ðú cóme tódæg tó ús

    then said Peter and Andrew to John, 'Dear Sir, tell us how thou camest to us to-day,'

    • 141, 20
      • .

  • Brúc ðisses beáges, Beówulf leófa, mid hǽle,

    • Beo. Th. 2437
      • ;
    • B. 1216
      • .

  • Eálá leóf hláford,

    O, mi domine,

    • Coll. Monast. Th. 19, 13
      • .

  • Hér is mín leófa sunu

    hic est filius meus dilectus,

    • Mt. Kmbl. 17, 5
      • .

  • Matheus mín se leófa, beheald on mé,

    • Blickl. Homl. 229, 30.

  • Forþférde Gode se leófa fæder Agustinus

    defunctus est Deo dilectus pater Augustinus,

    • Bd. 2, 3
      • ;
    • S. 504, 30
      • .

  • Se leófa cuma and se lufigendlíca

    hospes ille amabilis,

    • 4, 3
      • ;
    • S. 568, 16.

  • Mé sealde sunu on leófes stæl ðæs ðe Cain ofslóh

    he gave me a son in place of the loved one, him whom Cain slew,

    • Cd. 55
      • ;
    • Th. 68, 7
      • ;
    • Gen. 1113
      • .

  • Leófes and láðes

    of friend and foe,

    • Beo. Th. 5813
      • ;
    • B. 2910
      • .

  • Fela sceal gebídan leófes and láðes

    he shall experience much pleasure and pain,

    • 2126
      • ;
    • B. 1061
      • .

  • Ic ðé wolde leófum lofsang cweþan,

    • Ps. Th. 118, 164
      • .

  • Álédon leófne þeóden on bearm scipes,

    • Beo. Th. 68
      • ;
    • B. 34
      • .

  • Hláford leófne,

    • 6276
      • ;
    • B. 3142
      • .

  • Leófe ðíne

    dilecti tui,

    • Ps. Th. 59, 4
      • .

  • Míne bróðru leófon

    my dear brethren,

    • Bd. 4, 24
      • ;
    • S. 598, 43
      • .

  • Ðǽr ne biþ leófra gedál ne láðra gesamnung

    there shall not be parting of friends there, or meeting of foes,

    • Blickl. Homl. 65, 20
      • .

  • Eá cwǽdon hié ðæt him nǽnig mǽg leófra nǽre ðonne hiera hláford

    then they said that no kinsman was dearer to them than their lord,

    • Chr. 755
      • ;
    • Erl. 50, 19
      • .

  • Hí cwǽdon ðæt him nán hláford leófra nǽre ðonne hiora gecynda hláford,

    • 1014
      • ;
    • Erl. 150, 25
      • .

  • Leófre mé ys ðæt ic hig sylle ðé ðonne óðrum men

    melius est, ut tibi eam dem, quam alteri viro,

    • Gen. 29, 19
      • .

  • Ic wylle and mé leófre sig gif ðú máge

    volo et multum delectar, si potes,

    • Bd. 5, 3
      • ;
    • S. 616, 31
      • .

  • Ǽghwilcum men biþ leófre swá hé hæbbe holdra freónda má

    the more true friends he has, the better every man likes it,

    • Blickl. Homl. 121, 36
      • .

  • Ús biþ ðonne leófre ðonne eal eorþan wela gif hé ús miltsian wile

    if he will shew us mercy, shall we not prefer that to all the wealth of earth?

    • 51, 29
      • .

  • Ǽnne tíman ðonne ús wǽre leófre ðonne eall ðæt on middanearde is, ðæt wé áworhtan georne Godes willan,

    • L. C. E. 18
      • ;
    • Th. i. 370, 18
      • .

  • Ne dém ðú óðerne dóm ðam liófran and óðerne ðam ládran,

    • L. Alf. 43
      • ;
    • Th. 1, 54, 12
      • .

  • Him wǽron ǽr his ǽhta leófran tó hæbbenne ðonne Godes lufu

    he would rather have his possessions than God's love,

    • Blickl. Homl. 195, 9
      • .

  • Eall forlǽteþ ðæt him wæs leófost tó ágenne and tó hæbbenne,

    • 111, 26
      • .

  • For oft hit wyrþ radost forloren ðonne hit wǽre leófost gehealden

    too often it is most quickly lost, when keeping it would be most pleasant [or leófost adv.? ],

    • Wulfst. l09, 4.

  • Ðes is mín leófesta sunu

    hic est filius meus carissimus,

    • Mk. Skt. 9, 7
      • .

  • Ðú leófesta [Hat. MS. léófusta] bróður

    frater carissime,

      Past;
    • Swt. 22, 9
      • .

  • Ic sende grétan ðone leófastan cyning Ceólwulf

    • Bd. ded
      • ;
    • S. 471, 8
      • .

  • Míne gebróðra ða leófostan

    my dearest brethren,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 4, 19
      • .

  • Men ða leófostan,

    • 188, 25
      • :
    • Blickl. Homl. 165, 33.

  • Leófestan,

    • 9, 13
      • .

  • Ða word ðe hé wénþ ðæt him leófoste sýn tó gehýrenne

    the words that he thinks will be most pleasant for him to hear,

    • 55, 20
      • .
Etymology
[
Goth. liubs
:
O. Sax. liof
:
O. Frs. liaf, lief
:
Icel. ljúfr
:
O. H. Ger. liub, liob, lieb gratus, desiderabilis, carus, optatus, amicus
:
Ger. lieb.
]
Derived forms
fela-, mód-, ofer-, un-leóf, The word occurs forming part of proper names, e.g. Leóf-ríc, Leóf-sunu, Leóf-wine; so in other dialects.
Linked entries
v.  leóf.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “LEÓF.” In An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, edited by Thomas Northcote Toller, Christ Sean, and Ondřej Tichy. Prague: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, 2014. https://bosworthtoller.com/21430.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • LEÓF, adj.; adv.

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