▪ I. lief, a. (n.), and adv.
(liːf)
Forms: 1 léof, l{iacu}of, 3–4 leof (inflected leove, leofve), 3 lof, 4–5 luf, luef, lueve, 2–4 lef (inflected leve), 4–6 lef(f)e, 6–9 leve, (4 levef, lewe), 4–6 leefe, (5 leeff), 4–8 leeve, 6, 9– (chiefly U.S.) leave, 9 leaf, 4–7 leif, 5 leyf, 6–7 leife, leiv(e, 4 Sc. lyfe, 4, 6–8 live, 5 lyve, 4–6 lif(e, (4 lijf), 7–8 liff, 4–6 lyefe, 4–7 liefe, 2– lief. Also U.S. 8, 9 leaves, lieves, lives. compar. 1 lé-, l{iacu}ofra (fem. and neut. -re), 2 leofere, 3 leover, 3–6 lever, 4–5 lefer, (4 Sc. lyfar), 4–6 levir, -yr, (6 leffer, leir), 5–6 Sc. levar, 5–7 leefer, -ir, leever, 6–7 lieffer, 6 leaver, 5–7 liever, leyf(f)er, 7 leif(f)er, 6 Sc. loor, 6– liefer. Also 8 lieverer. superl. 1 léof-, l{iacu}ofast, -est, -ust, 3 lefest, 3–4 leovest, 3–6 levest, 4–6 lievest, (6 leif-, lifest), 6– liefest. Also 6 leverest.
[OE. léof, l{iacu}of = OFris. liaf, OS. liob, liof (Du. lief), OHG. liub, liup, liob, liab, lieb (MHG. lieb, liep, mod.G. lieb), ON. li{uacu}f-r (Sw. ljuf), Goth. liuf-s (liub-):—OTeut. *leuƀo-:—pre-Teut. *leubho- (whence OSl. ljubŭ), f. Aryan root *leubh- (:loubh-: lubh-, whence believe, love).]
A. adj.
1. Beloved, dear, agreeable, acceptable, precious. Also lief and dear. a. In attrib. use. Obs. exc. arch.
| Beowulf 34 Aledon þa leofne þeoden..on bearm scipes. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xvii. 5 Her ys min leofa sunu. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 4136 In to lef reste his sowle wond. a 1300 Cursor M. 17 Of tristrem and hys leif ysote. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. i. 136 Loue is þe leuest þing þat vr lord askeþ. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 279 Men made ymages to her leue frendes. a 1541 Wyatt Poet. Wks. (1831) 57 For all that can no man bring Lieffer jewel unto his lady dear. 1575 G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camden) 145 She should not neede to care for y⊇ leefist frende she had. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. i. 52 My lifest Lord she thus beguiled had. 1601 Munday Death Earl Huntington iii. i. in Hazl. Dodsley VIII. 273 Welcome to Guildford, Salisbury's liefest lord. 1742 Shenstone Schoolmistress 139 In which, when he receives his diadem, Our sov'reign prince and liefest liege is plac'd. 1844 Ld. Houghton Mem. Many Scenes, Valentia 198 Here the sun is pleased to cast Liefest smiles. |
† b. Used in addressing a person. Obs.
| Beowulf 1216 Bruc ðisses beaᵹes, Beowulf leofa, hyse mid hæle. c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. xxxvi. 253 Ðu leofesta broður. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 19 Nimað ȝeme nu leofemon hwilche ȝife he us ȝefeð. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1375 O, leue feren, feire is us i-fallen. c 1330 King of Tars 656 Leove sire, trouwe on this. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1170 Dido, Now leue sistyr myn what may it be. 1426 Card. Beaufort in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. I. 101 note, Levest earthly Lorde. 1481 Caxton Reynard xx. (Arb.) 50 Lief bellyn wherfore be ye angry. 1513 Douglas æneis iv. Prol. 91 Thar bene bot few example takis of vther, Bot wilfully fallis in the fyre, leif brother. 1575 Gamm. Gurton ii. iv, Who was it leiue son? speke, ich pray the. 1620 Quarles Jonah K 3 b, Deare liefest Lord, that feast'st the world with Grace. 1632 Holland Cyrupædia 207 Children mine, liefe and deare, I love you both alike. |
c. In predicative use. Const. dat. or to, unto, esp. in liefer was, were, to me, him, etc. with inf. or clause as subject [= ‘I had rather’]. Also Sc. liefis me = dear is to me (see also leeze me). Obs. exc. arch. and dial.
| a 900 O.E. Chron. an. 755 (Parker MS.) Þa cuædon hie þæt him næniᵹ mæᵹ leofra nære þonne hiera hlaford. c 1000 ælfric Gen. xxix. 19 Leofre me ys þæt ic hiᵹ sylle þe þonne oðrum men. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 35 Swilche pine ic habbe þet me were leofere þenne al world..most ic habben an alpi þraȝe summe lisse. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 29 Þu shalt ben lef and wurð and liken alle men. c 1200 Ormin 14701 To lakenn himm wiþþ þatt tatt himm Iss lefesst off þin ahhte. a 1250 Owl & Night. 202 Þeȝ..leof [v.r. lof] him were nihtegale. a 1300 Cursor M. 23936 Þis ilk praier leuedi þou here, For þaa þat ar me lijfe and dere. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 266 Bot Iueler gente if þou schal lose Þy Ioy for a gemme þat þe was lef. 1340–70 Alex & Dind. 562 Hure was lecherie luf. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 1143 Leuere me were by my fay he were to-drawe wyþ hors. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 205 Now ches and tak which you is levere. c 1394 P. Pl. Crede 16 Þerfor lerne þe byleue leuest me were. c 1422 Hoccleve Jonathas 170 This man to folkes alle was so leef. 1470–85 Malory Arthur iv. xx, Ye haue lefte me the yongest and the fayrest, and she is moost leuest to me. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxxv. 42 Full leifis me ȝour graceles gane. 1513 Douglas æneis iii. vii. 37 O levis me! the lykest thing leving, And verray ymage of my Astianax ȝing! 1513 More Rich. III, Wks. 63/1 Them wer leuer to leese all that thei haue besyde, then [etc.]. 1596 Spenser F.Q. iv. iii. 52 Cambel tooke Cambina to his fere, The which as life were each to other liefe. 1597–8 Bp. Hall Sat. iv. ii. 81 Thy fathers odious name, Whose mention were alike to thee as leeue As a catch-pols fist unto a bankrupts sleeue. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. 147 Those who are most leife and deere unto us shall bee slaves. 1614 W. Browne Sheph. Pipe B 7 Leuer me were be slaine in this place..Then purpose againe you any fallace. 1647 H. More Song of Soul Lines 8/2 But all are deaf Vnto my Muse, that is most lief To mine own self. 1842 Tennyson Morte D'Arthur 80, I charge thee, quickly go again As thou art lief and dear. |
d. In various constructions with have (see have 22, and cf. G. lieb haben, Du. liefhebben): I (etc.) had (occas. have) as lief as, I had (occas. † have) liefer (than), † liefest, with object a n., inf. phrase (with or without to), or subordinate clause. † Also in catachrestic constructions (see have 22 c).
In I'd, you'd, he'd (etc.) as lief, the ambiguous contraction is prob. taken to represent would rather than had; the examples are therefore placed under the adv. Actual instances with had might still occur, but only as arch. or dial.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 94/79 For ich habbe leouere þat ȝe hire ouer-come. Ibid. 471/321 Ȝuyt hadde ich leouere ich were i-huld. 13.. K. Alis. 21 Feole & fille..hadde lever a ribaudye Than to here of God. Ibid. 1234 Theo riche..saide they hadden, sikirliche, Leovere steorve..than [etc]. c 1350 Will. Palerne 453, I have lever that love than lac al mi harmes. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxix. (Placidas) 390 He had als lef be ded as lef his wyf but remed. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 19 Þei han levere to dien in pryde and in malice þan to lyve in mekenes and charite. c 1386 Chaucer Merch. T. 919 Leuere ich hadde to dyen on a knyf, Than thee offende trewe deere wif. ― Monk's Prol. 5, I hadde leuere than a barel ale That gode lief my wyf hadde herd this tale. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 130, I hadde hir levere than a Myn of Gold. 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) v. ii. (1859) 75 Of these thre worldes,..I hadde leuer here speke, than ony thynge elles. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. A 4 He had leifer save one citizen and subjects life than kill a thousand enemies. 1643 Trapp Comm. Gen. xxxi. 2 He had as lief have parted with his very heart-blood. 1750 Fielding Tom Jones vii. vii, One had lieverer touch a toad than the flesh of some people. 1756 W. Toldervy Hist. 2 Orphans I. 121 With all my heart,..for I had as liff sit with Lucy or Marget as either of you, and at any time whatsomever. a 1766 F. Sheridan Sidney Biddulph IV. 311, I had as lief have let it alone. |
† 2. Desirous, wishful, willing, glad. Const. of, to with inf. Obs.
[This use app. resulted from a conversion of the construction with dative, him is lief (see 1 c) becoming he is lief.]
| c 1325 Poem times Edw. II (Percy) xliii, The gode-man schal have never a mossel, Be he never so lef. c 1330 Arth. & Merl. (Kölbing) 3072 With five hundred noble kniȝtes Hardi & strong, & leue to fiȝtes. a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxliii. 4 Man..þat is leuer to lose his saule þan his lust. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. II. 298 Þes newe ordris ech on þat ben so lef to lye. Ibid. III. 173 And thus us ow not to be lefe of jugement of men. c 1400 Songs Costume (Percy Soc.) 51, I was lefe for to escape. c 1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 5428 To saue his londes he was lefe. c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 487 With a spone lightely to ete your souerayne may be leeff. ? c 1475 Sqr. lowe Degre 593 That my father so leve he be That wyll profer me to thee. c 1500 Yng. Childr. Bk. 70 in Babees Bk. (1868) 21 Be not lefe to telle tydinge. |
3. Antithetically to loath, in senses 1 and 2. Also absol., esp. in for lief or loath. Obs. exc. arch.
| Beowulf 511 Ne inc æniᵹ mon, ne leof ne lað belean mihte sorhfullne sið. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 183 Al þat me was leof, hit was þe loð. c 1300 Havelok 2379 Ne leten he nouth for lef ne loth. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1639 Hypsip. & Medea, That he for lef or loth Ne shulde neuere hire false. 1412–20 Lydg. Chron. Troy i. vi, Other for lyef or lothe. c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 1182 The Cooke, be he loothe or leeff. 1526 Skelton Magnyf. 2544 Nowe leue, nowe lothe. 1584 Peele Arraignm. Paris ii. ii, Well, Juno, whether we be lief or loth, Venus hath got the apple from us both. 1647 H. More Song of Soul ii. i. iv. iv, Our adversaries, loth or lief Must needs confesse that [etc.]. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. III. iv. 363 An oath To do my bidding once, if lieve or loath It were to thee. 1883 R. W. Dixon Mano iii. viii. 136 Now hence must I..be I loth or lief. |
† 4. absol. a. (When used in addressing a superior = Sir! Sire! Lord!) Obs.
| c 907 Mem. in Earle Land Charters (1888) 162 Leof ic ðe cyðe hu hit wæs ymb ðæt lond æt funtial. c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 314 Hi..cwædon to ðam apostolon, La leof, hwæt is us to donne. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 235 La lief maȝie wiman forȝeten his oȝe cild. c 1300 Havelok 2606 ‘Ye lef ye’, couth þe erl gunter. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 44 Lefe & dere, My lond is at þi wille. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 257 But leve take heed to Cristis wordis. ― Wks. (1880) 454 Ȝif he do good to þe chirche in preiyng or in studiynge, leve, what is þis to herdis offis. a 1400 Sir Perc. 1 Lef, lythes to me Two wordes or thre Off one that was faire and fre. |
† b. quasi-n. A beloved, a dear one; a friend, sweetheart, mistress; occas. a wife. Similarly in the compar., one who is dearer. Obs.
| 971 Blickl. Hom. 21 Ne biþ he Godes leof on þæm nehstan dæᵹe. c 1250 Lutelsoth Serm. 63 in O.E. Misc. 188 Hwenne heo to chirche comeþ to þe haliday Eueruch wile his leof iseon. a 1300 Cursor M. 4352 Þat þou mi lefe wald be. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 939 Þo wern Loth & his lef, his luflyche deȝter. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1782 Bot if ȝe haf a lemman, a leuer, þat yow lykez better. 1382 Wyclif Song Sol. i. 8 To my riding in charis of Farao, I licnede thee O my leef. c 1386 Chaucer Miller's T. 207 Alwey the nye slye Maketh the ferre leve to be looth. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 221 Bot natheles sche hadde a levere. c 1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 6576 Nou wel I wote this fals theef Hath thus led a-way my leef. c 1483 Caxton Dialogues viii. 29 Amand, your cosen alyed Hath a fairer lyef Than ye haue. 1595 Spenser Col. Clout 16 Colin my liefe, my life. 1621 Ainsworth Song Sol. v. 9 What is thy Lief more then another Lief? 1633 P. Fletcher Poet. Misc. 67 Thomalin my lief, thy musick strains to heare More raps my soul, then [etc.]. |
B. adv. Dearly, gladly, willingly. Chiefly with would, pa. subj. (occas. Sc. with omission of would). Also in as lief (as), the liefer; lief I were = I would gladly be.
The advb. use originated chiefly from the misinterpretation of phrases like I had as lief, I had liever (see A. 1 d), in which would appears instead of had as early as the 13th c.
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 49 And of hem two ðat leue luuen, ðe welden al her and abuuen. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 5302 He ches leuere to deye him sulf, þan such sorwe yse. a 1300 Cursor M. 3135 Þat he ne wald leuer his child cole þan of his lauerd wrath to thole. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 96 Alle wommen lievest wolde Be soverein of mannes love. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. ii. 143 For to louye þy lord leuest of alle. a 1400–50 Alexander 1082 Þare lengis him lefe þe kynge & logis all a neuen [= an even]. c 1450 Erle Tolous 365 Leve y were so worthy a knyght. 1450–1530 Myrr. our Ladye 29 They that wolde leuer be in the quier. c 1454 Paston Lett. I. 285 So, withoute your better avyse, I & my brothyr purpose us to be with you ther at that tyme; for, the sonner, the levyr me. a 1500 Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.) 267 The trewth wolde I knowe as leff as ye. 1530 Tindale Pract. Prelates C viij b, The Pope..sendeth him [the Emperoure] his coronacyon home to him oftymes moch leuer than that he shuld come any neare. c 1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) iv. 79 Scho leir be japit thryiss. 1567 Turberv. Ovid's Ep. 83 b, More leffer shoulde it lurcke, if I might have my will. 1598 R. Bernard tr. Terence 213 Now see whether of these two conditions you would leaver have. 1724 Ramsay Tea-t. Misc. (1733) I. 20 But I loor chuse in highland glens To herd the kid. 1800 Coleridge Piccolom. iv. v, Far liever would I face about, and step Back to my Emperor. 1814 Jefferson Writ. (1830) IV. 223 He might spare such a force..as I would as lieve not have to encounter. 1840 Southern Lit. Messenger VI. 508/1 Never mind..I'd as leave be here as anywheres else. 1837 Howitt Rur. Life iii. iii. (1862) 242 She would as lieve part with the skin off her back as with her money. 1852 Thackeray Esmond i. vi, I would as lief go there as anywhere. 1855 Mrs. Gaskell North & S. xxxvii, I'd liefer sweep th' streets, if paupers had na' got hold on that work. 1876 Tennyson Q. Mary iii. i, Far liefer had I in my country hall Been reading some old book. 1896 A. E. Housman Shropsh. Lad I, Where shall one halt to deliver This luggage I'd lief set down? 1898 Pall Mall Mag. June 220 To strip was to confess her sex, than which she would liefer have died. 1898 M. Deland Old Chester Tales 80, I would just as leave. 1902 A. D. McFaul Ike Glidden xviii. 144, I would's leave git fired. 1921 D. H. Lawrence Sea & Sardinia 121 They would fetch you a bang over the head as leave as look at you. 1935 G. Ingram ‘Stir’ Train i. 16 ‘I've got a little instrument here,’ Margot showed him a thin scalpel.., ‘and..I would as leave stick it into anyone's belly as any surgeon.’ |
| 1771 J. S. Copley Let. 17 Aug. in Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll. (1914) LXXI. 142 If Mr. Joy would as leaves wainscott the..Room as plaister,.. I should prefer it. Ibid. 20 Sept. 160, I had as leaves Miller should paper as any one, provided he does it as Cheep. 1772 M. Mascarene Let. 14 Sept. in Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll. (1914) LXXI. 189, I had full as lives have it [sc. the portrait] on a larger [plate]. 1856 A. Cary Married 22, I would just as lives stand here as not. 1858 J. R. Lowell Two Gunners in Poetical Wks. II. 126 I'd jest ez lives eat tripe. 1863 ‘G. Hamilton’ Gala-Days 241 We'd just as lieves work out of doors..as not. 1891 Harper's Mag. Oct. 820/1, I will get Provided Usher to watch with me. He'd just as lives. |
▪ II. lief
obs. form of leaf, life.