different between lief vs lien

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English leef, leve, lef, from Old English l?of, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz. Cognate with Saterland Frisian ljo, ljoo, West Frisian leaf, Dutch lief, German Low German leev, German lieb, Swedish and Norwegian Nynorsk ljuv, Gothic ???????????????????? (liufs), Russian ??????? (ljubóv?), Polish luby.

For the adverb, compare German lieber, Dutch liever (“preferably, rather”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /li?f/
• Rhymes: -i?f
• Homophone: leaf

Adjective

lief (comparative liefer or liever, superlative liefest or lievest)

1. (archaic) Beloved, dear, agreeable.
2. (archaic) Ready, willing.

Synonyms

• (beloved): See Thesaurus:beloved

Derived terms

• liefsome

Related terms

• leman
• livelong

Translations

Adverb

lief (comparative liefer or liever, superlative liefest)

1. (archaic) Readily, willingly, rather.
   • 1826, Thomas Byerly, John Timbs, The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction:

     As far as physiognomy goes, the winners protest that they would as lief have foregone the double points, and the money.

   • 1869, RD Blackmoore, Lorna Doone, II:

     these great masters of the art, who would far liefer see us little ones practice it, than themselves engage [...].

   • 1902: "Corner in Chrysanthemums" by Josephine Spenser

     I'd as lief put on my hat and cane and help you if you think they'll be too heavy.

   I'd as lief have one as t'other.

Derived terms

• liefer/liever

Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

lief (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of lif

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:lief.

Anagrams

• File, Life, file, filé, flie, life

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch lief, from Old Dutch *liof, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lewb?-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lif/, [lif]
• Hyphenation: lief
• Rhymes: -if

Adjective

lief (comparative liever, superlative liefst)

1. nice, sweet
2. beloved

Inflection

Derived terms

• lieflijk
• lieveling

Related terms

• liefde
• liefhebben

Noun

lief n (plural lieven, diminutive liefje n)

1. one's beloved in a romantic relationship, i.e. a boyfriend or girlfriend

Usage notes

• May be used as a term of address, particularly the diminutive liefje and the related substantivized superlative liefste.

See also

• liever
• liefde

Anagrams

• file

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [li?f]
• Rhymes: -i?f

Verb

lief

1. first/third-person singular preterite of laufen

Luxembourgish

Verb

lief

1. second-person singular imperative of liewen

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *liof, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lewb?-.

Adjective

lief

1. loved, dear
2. sweet, nice

Inflection

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

Derived terms

• lieven

Descendants

• Dutch: lief
• Limburgish: leef

Further reading

• “lief (III)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929) , “lief (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, ?ISBN, page I

Norman

Alternative forms

• lyef (Sark)

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

lief m (plural liefs)

1. (Jersey) roof

Old Frisian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?li???f/

Adjective

li?f

1. Old West Frisian form of li?f

References

• Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, ?ISBN, page 115

Old Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?lje?]

Adjective

lief (plural lieues)

1. Apocopic form of lieue; light, effortless
   • c. 1200, Almerich, Fazienda de Ultramar, f. 42v.

Scots

Alternative forms

• (contracted) lee

Etymology

From Old English l?of, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lif]

Adjective

lief (comparative liefer, superlative liefest)

1. dear, beloved

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English lyf, from Old English l?f, from Proto-West Germanic *l?b.

Noun

lief

1. life

References

• Jacob Poole (1867) , William Barnes, editor, A glossary, with some pieces of verse, of the old dialect of the English colony in the baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, J. Russell Smith, ?ISBN

Zealandic

Etymology

From Middle Dutch lijf, from Old Dutch l?f, from Proto-Germanic *l?b?.

Adjective

lief n (plural [please provide])

1. body

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Middle French lien, from Latin lig?men (“a bond”), from lig? (“tie, bind”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?li?n/, /?li??n/
• Homophone: lean (IPA^(key): /li?n/)

Noun

lien (plural liens)

1. (obsolete) A tendon.
2. (law) A right to take possession of a debtor’s property as security until a debt or duty is discharged.
   • 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin 2003, p. 7:

     Bodin deemed the king of France's power as absolute in the sense that the ruler was ‘absolved’ by divine sanction from legally binding liens and restrictions.

Derived terms

• lienholder

Translations

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

• lyen

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?la??n/

Verb

lien

1. (biblical, archaic) Alternative form of lain

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Latin lien (“spleen”). Doublet of spleen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?la?.in/, /?la?.?n/

Noun

lien (plural lienes)

1. (uncommon, possibly obsolete) The spleen.

   Synonym: milt

   • 1892, John Marie Keating, Henry Hamilton, John Chalmers Da Costa, A New Pronouncing Dictionary of Medicine:

     Li'enal. Pertaining to the lien or spleen; splenic.

   • 1914, Quain's Elements of Anatomy, volume 1, page 312:

     The lien or spleen (figs. 282 to 285) is a soft, highly vascular contractile and very elastic organ of a dark purplish colour. It is placed obliquely behind the stomach, [...]

Related terms

• lienal, lienic

Further reading

• lien on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• LEIN, LINE, Line, Neil, Niel, Nile, line

Cornish

Etymology

From Latin legendus

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?li??n]

Noun

lien m (plural liennow)

1. literature

French

Etymology

From Middle French lien, from Old French lien, liem, from Latin lig?men (“bond”), from lig?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lj??/

Noun

lien m (plural liens)

1. link

Derived terms

• lien mort

Related terms

• lier
• relier

Further reading

• “lien” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Latin

Alternative forms

• li?nis m

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *lix?n-, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)li??, from *spl??-?n- (“spleen”). The -i- remains unexplained.

Cognate with Old Irish selg, Lithuanian blužnis, Ancient Greek ????? (spl?n), Old Armenian ??????? (p?ayca?n), Avestan ????????????????????????????????-? (sp?r^?zan-), Sanskrit ??????? (pl?hán). Doublet of splen.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?li.e?n/, [?lie?n]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?li.en/, [?li??n]

Noun

li?n m (genitive li?nis); third declension

1. spleen

Declension

Third-declension noun.

References

• lien in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• lien in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

Latvian

Verb

lien

1. 2nd person singular present indicative form of l?st
2. 3rd person singular present indicative form of l?st
3. 3rd person plural present indicative form of l?st
4. 2nd person singular imperative form of l?st
5. (with the particle lai) 3rd person singular imperative form of l?st
6. (with the particle lai) 3rd person plural imperative form of l?st

Livonian

Etymology

Related to Finnish lainata.

Verb

lien

1. (Salaca) give a loan

Middle Dutch

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch *l?an, from Proto-Germanic [Term?].

Verb

liën

1. (transitive) to admit
2. (transitive) to acknowledge, to be convinced
3. (transitive) to declare
4. (intransitive) to assent

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Etymology 2

From Old Dutch l?an, from Proto-West Germanic *l?hwan, from Proto-Germanic *l?hwan?, from Proto-Indo-European *leyk?-.

Verb

liën

1. (eastern) to lend

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Further reading

• “liën (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929) , “liën (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, ?ISBN, page liën
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929) , “liën (II)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, ?ISBN, page liën

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English li??an, from Proto-West Germanic *liggjan, from Proto-Germanic *ligjan?.

Verb

lien (third-person singular simple present lith, present participle liende, first-/third-person singular past indicative leie, past participle leien)

1. to lie (be in a horizontal position)

Alternative forms

• lie, li, lin, ligh, li?, li?e, li?en, lig, lige, ligen, liken, likken, li??e, ligge, liggen, luggen
• licgen, li?ge (early)

Descendants

• English: lie, lig
• Scots: lie
• Yola: lee

References

• “l?en, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

From Old English l?ogan, from Proto-West Germanic *leugan, from Proto-Germanic *leugan?.

Verb

lien (third-person singular simple present lieth, present participle liende, first-/third-person singular past indicative legh, past participle louen)

1. to lie (tell a falsehood)

Alternative forms

• li, lie, lin, lighe, lighen, lige, ligen, li?e, li?en, liegh, lie?e, lie?en, le, lei, leie, leghen, legen, le?e, le?en, lei?e, lei?en
• lih, lihe, lihen, le?en, leo?en, leio?en, lu?en (early)

Descendants

• English: lie
• Scots: lee

References

• “l?en, v.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 3

From Old French lier, liier (“to tie up, connect”), from Latin lig?re (“to tie, bind”).

Verb

lien (third-person singular simple present lieth, present participle liende, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle liid) (cooking)

1. to thicken (a soup, etc.) by mixing
2. to bind (ground meat, etc. with eggs, sauce, etc.)
3. to coat (something with sauce, etc.)

Alternative forms

• li, lie

Descendants

• English: lye

References

• “l?en, v.(3).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 4

From Middle French lien (“tie, strap”), from Latin lig?men (“bandage, band, tie”).

Noun

lien (plural liens)

1. bond, fetter

Alternative forms

• lieine, leine

Descendants

• English: lien

References

• “l?en, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 5

Noun

lien (plural liens)

1. Alternative form of len

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French lien.

Noun

lien m (plural liens)

1. tie; strap
2. (by extension) link (association)

Descendants

• French: lien
• ? Middle English: lien
  • English: lien

Old French

Alternative forms

• lïen (diareses not universally used in transcriptions of Old French)

Etymology

From Latin lig?men.

Noun

lien m (oblique plural liens, nominative singular liens, nominative plural lien)

1. tie; strap

Descendants

• Middle French: lien
  • French: lien
  • ? Middle English: lien
    • English: lien

Swedish

Noun

lien

1. definite singular of lie

Anagrams

• Elin, ilen