Lief

a. (sb.), and adv. Forms: 1 léof, líof, 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 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. Compar. 1 lé-, líofra (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-, líofast, -est, -ust, 3 lefest, 3–4 leovest, 3–6 levest, 4–6 lievest, (6 leif-, lifest), 6– liefest. Also 6 leverest. [OE. léof, líof = OFris. liaf, OS. liob, liof (Du. lief), OHG. liub, liup, liob, liab, lieb (MHG. lieb, liep, mod.G. lieb), ON. liúf-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^e 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 beaʓes, 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.  Bp. 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 næniʓ mæʓ leofra nære þonne hiera hlaford.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Gen. xxix. 19. Leofre me ys þæt ic hiʓ 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.

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 sb., 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. Ibid., 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.  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.  Mrs. 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 æniʓ 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.  a. absol. (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. Ibid., 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-sb. 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 dæʓe.

c. 1250.  Lutel soth 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, trans. 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.  T. Jefferson, Writ. (1830), IV. 223. He might spare such a force … as I would as lieve not have to encounter.

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, Shropshire Lad, l. 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.