lofe

lofe · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*lewbʰ-
2. Proto-Germanic*lubą
3. Proto-West Germanic*lob
4. Old Englishlof
5. Middle Englishlof
6. English todaylofe

Inherited from Middle English lof, lofe (“praise, price”), from Old English lof (“praise, glory, repute, song of praise, hymn”), from Proto-West Germanic *lob, from Proto-Germanic *lubą (“praise, permission”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to love, like”) (and thence a distant doublet of love). Cognate with Scots lofe (“an offer”), North Frisian lof (“praise”), Dutch lof (“praise, glory, commendation”), German Lob (“praise, commendation, tribute”), Icelandic lof (“praise”). For semantic development, perhaps compare the etymology of praise and its senses.

lofe · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European*lewbʰ-
2. Proto-Germanic*lubą
3. Proto-Germanic*lubōną
4. Proto-West Germanic*lobōn
5. Old Englishlofian
6. Middle Englishloven
7. English todaylofe

Inherited from Middle English loven (“to praise, set a price on”), from Old English lofian (“to praise, exalt, appraise, value, set a price on”), from Proto-West Germanic *lobōn, from Proto-Germanic *lubōną (“to praise, vow”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to love, like”). Cognate with Scots loave (“to offer at a price”), North Frisian lowe (“to vow, swear”), Dutch loven (“to praise, bless, commend”), German loben (“to praise, laud, commend”), Icelandic lofa (“to promise, praise, allow”).

Words from the same roots