Leib

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See also: leib

German

Etymology

From Middle High German līp, from Old High German līb, from Proto-West Germanic *līb, from Proto-Germanic *lībą (life, body), from *lībaną (to remain, stay, be left), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (to stick, glue). Cognate with German Low German Liev (body), Dutch lijf (body), English life, Swedish liv (life, waist).

Pronunciation

Noun

Leib m (strong, genitive Leibes or Leibs, plural Leiber, diminutive Leibchen n)

  1. (dated, higher register or religious) body
    Synonym: Körper
    • (Luke 22:19)
      Das ist mein Leib, der für euch hingegeben wird.
      This is my body, which is given for you.
  2. by semantic narrowing more specifically
    1. trunk, torso
      Synonyms: Rumpf, Oberkörper, Torso
    2. belly, abdomen, stomach
      Synonyms: Bauch, Magen
    3. womb
      Synonyms: Mutterleib, (informal) Bauch, (medical) Gebärmutter
      • (Line from the Hail Mary)
        Gebenedeit ist die Frucht deines Leibes, Jesus.
        Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Usage notes

  • Still commonly found in derivatives and in fixed expressions, such as nichts am Leib haben (to be naked, literally to have nothing on one's body), Leib und Leben (life and limb, literally body and life), Leib und Seele (body and soul), etc.

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

  • Leib” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • Leib” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • Leib” in Duden online
  • Leib on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia de

Hunsrik

Etymology

From Middle High German lip, from Old High German lib.

Pronunciation

Noun

Leib m (plural Leiver)

  1. belly

Further reading