liab

Bavarian

Etymology

From Middle High German liep, from Old High German liob, liub, from Proto-West Germanic *leub, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz. Cognates include Alemannic German lieb, German lieb, Dutch lief, English lief, Icelandic ljúfur.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /liɐ̯b̥/

Adjective

liab (comparative liaber, superlative åm liabstn)

1. nice, cute

White Hmong

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /liə̯˥/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Hmong *ʔlinᴬ (“monkey”), probably from Proto-Hmong-Mien *ʔbliŋ (“id”). Related to Proto-Mien *ʔbiŋᴬ (“id”); outside of Hmong-Mien, compare Proto-Tai *liːŋᴬ (“id”), whence Thai ลิง (ling, “id”).

Noun

liab

1. monkey

Derived terms

• liab dais qeeb (“sloth”)
• liab npog muag (“sloth”)
• liab twm hawj (“gorilla”)
• txiv thais liab (“dominant male of a group of monkeys”)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Hmong *ʔlinᴬ (“red”).

Adjective

liab

1. red

Derived terms

• hma liab (“red fox”)

References

• Heimbach, Ernest E. (1979) White Hmong — English Dictionary‎^[1], SEAP Publications, →ISBN, pages 112-3.