Laib

See also: láib

German

Alternative forms

• Leib (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle High German leip, from Old High German hleib, from Proto-West Germanic *hlaib.

Cognate with English loaf, Polish chleb, Russian хлеб (xleb). The spelling with -ai- follows the old Upper German orthography; it was advocated by grammarians such as Gottsched in order to distinguish from Leib (“body”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laɪ̯p/

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophone: Leib
• Rhymes: -aɪ̯p

Noun

Laib m (strong, genitive Laibes or Laibs, plural Laibe or (alternatively after numerals) Laib, diminutive Laibchen n or Laiblein n)

1. loaf (of bread), wheel, block (of cheese)

Usage notes

• A fairly rare word in practice because one would usually say ein Brot, ein Käse (literally “a bread, a cheese”), unless there is some need for clarity.

Declension

Declension of Laib [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Laib	die	Laibe, Laib
genitive	eines	des	Laibes, Laibs	der	Laibe, Laib
dative	einem	dem	Laib, Laibe1	den	Laiben, Laib
accusative	einen	den	Laib	die	Laibe, Laib

¹Now uncommon, see notes.

Further reading

• “Laib” in Duden online
• “Laib” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache