lave

lave · verb, noun¹

1. Latin · derived fromlavō
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*labōn“to refresh, revitalize; to strengthen”
3. Old English · inherited fromlafian“to bathe; to make wet; to ladle out; to pour”
4. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*lewh₃-“to wash”
5. Latin · derived fromlavāre
6. Old French · derived fromlaver“to be washed; to wash”
7. Middle English · inherited fromlaven“to bathe, wash; to bail or draw water, drain, exhaust; to dampen, wet; to pour; of water, etc.: to flow, stream”
8. English todaylave

The verb is derived from Middle English laven (“to bathe, wash; to bail or draw water, drain, exhaust; to dampen, wet; to pour; of water, etc.: to flow, stream”), and then partly: * from Old French laver (“to be washed; to wash”) (modern French laver (“to wash (oneself)”)), from Latin lavāre, the present active infinitive of lavō (“to bathe, wash; to dampen, wet”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₃- (“to wash”); and * from Old English lafian (“to bathe; to make wet; to ladle out; to pour”), from Proto-West Germanic *labōn (“to refresh, revitalize; to strengthen”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Latin lavō (see above) but this does not explain the change in meaning from “to wash; to wet” to “to refresh; to strengthen”. Perhaps Old English lafian is derived directly from the Latin word, and Proto-West Germanic *labōn and words in languages derived from it such as Dutch and German are coincidentally similar to the Old English word. The noun is derived from the verb.

lave · noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*leyp-“to stick; fat or sticky substance”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*laibō“remainder, remnant”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*laibu“remainder”
4. Old English · inherited fromlāf“remainder, rest; heirloom; legacy; relict, widow”
5. Middle English · inherited fromlafe“remainder, rest; legacy; relict, widow”
6. Middle English · inherited fromlove
7. Northern Middle English · inherited fromlave
8. English todaylave

From Northern Middle English lave, Middle English love, Early Middle English lafe (“remainder, rest; legacy; relict, widow”), from Old English lāf (“remainder, rest; heirloom; legacy; relict, widow”), from Proto-West Germanic *laibu (“remainder”), from Proto-Germanic *laibō (“remainder, remnant”), from *lībaną (“to be left, to remain”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to stick; fat or sticky substance”). Doublet of belive (“(obsolete except UK, dialectal) to remain, stay”). Cognates * Old English belīfan (“to remain”) * Old High German leiba (“to lave”) * Old Norse leif (“to lave”)

lave · adjective, verb³

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*leb-“to hang down loosely (?)”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*labēn-“to dangle”
3. Old Norse · derived fromlafa
4. Middle English · inherited fromlave“of the ears: drooping, hanging down”
5. English todaylave

The adjective is from Middle English lave (“of the ears: drooping, hanging down”), from Old Norse lafa, from Proto-Germanic *labēn- (“to dangle”), from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang down loosely (?)”). The verb is probably derived from the adjective.

Words from the same roots