Middle English

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Verb

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lufian

  1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of loven (to love)

Old English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Proto-West Germanic *lubōn, derived from the noun *lubu (love). Equivalent to lufu +‎ -ian. Cognate with Old Frisian luvia, Old High German lubōn.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈlu.fi.ɑn/, [ˈlu.vi.ɑn]

Verb

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lufian

  1. to love
    Ġif þū wille bēon ġelufod, lufa.
    If you want to be loved, love.
    • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Second Sunday After Easter"
      Sē Hǣlend cwæþ be him, "Iċ eom gōd hierde, and iċ oncnāwe mīn sċēap, and hīe oncnāwaþ mē." Þæt is, "Iċ lufiġe hīe, and hīe lufiaþ mē."
      Jesus said about himself, "I'm a good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and they know me." That is, "I love them, and they love me."
    • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Matthew 6:5
      Þonne ġē ēow ġebidden, ne bēoþ ġē swelċe līċetteras. Þā lufiaþ þæt hīe ġebidden hīe standende on ġesamnungum and strǣta hyrnum þæt menn hīe ġesēon.
      When you pray, don't be like hypocrites. They love to pray standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people will see them.
    • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, John 21:17
      Þā wæs Petrus sāriġ for þām þe hē cwæþ þriddan sīðe tō him, "Lufast þū me?" And hē cwæþ tō him, "Dryhten, þū wāst eall þing; þū wāst þæt iċ þē lufiġe."
      Peter felt hurt because he asked him a third time, "Do you love me?" And he told him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."

Conjugation

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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