different between lief vs rief

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

See reaf and reave.

Noun

rief (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of reif (robbery).
   • 1567 July 19, Proclamation by the Earl of Bedford, quoted in Calendar of State Papers, foreign series, of the Reign of Elizabeth, 1566-8 (1871), volume 10:

     [The earl] commands all within his charge to abstain from reiving or stealing from the subjects of Scotland. For such riefs as have been made upon them, the Queen minds to have the same mended by justice.

   • 1822, Alexander Peterkin, Notes on Orkney and Zetland, page 61:

     here the record is quite defaced and worn out, insomuch that only the words of the charge, viz. extortions, insolvencies, riefs, and oppressions, can be discovered

   • 1884, James Taylor, The Pictorial History of Scotland, volume 2, page 133:

     Murders, riefs, and spoliations became more common on the Borders after this raid than they had ever been before.

References

• rief in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• -fier, FIRE, Fier, Frie, fier, fire, refi, reif, rife

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?i?f/
• Rhymes: -i?f

Verb

rief

1. first/third-person singular preterite of rufen

Scots

Noun

rief

1. Alternative form of reif
   • 1820, David Carey, Lochiel; Or, The Field of Culloden, volume 2, page 157:

     Why he should na be treated as ane o' the wicked thieves and limmers o' the clans wha carry off their neighbours gear and live by rief, […]