laf

Albanian

Noun

laf m

1. Alternative form of llaf

References

• Meyer, G. (1891) “ľaf”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch der albanesischen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the Albanian Language] (in German), Strasbourg: Karl J. Trübner, →DOI, page 233

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch laf, from Proto-Germanic *laba-, from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely”). Cognate with German laff (“slack, insipid”).

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑf

Adjective

laf (comparative laffer, superlative lafst)

1. cowardly

   Maar de algemene regel is dat de man, "zwak of sterk", volgens Kuyper "Koning in zijn huis" is en dat "Een man die zijn vrouw in huis 'de baas laat spelen' laf en onmannelijk is. — But the general rule is that the man, "weak or strong," according to Kuyper "is king of his house" and that "a man who lets his wife 'play the boss' is cowardly and unmanly."

Inflection

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Papiamentu: laf

References

Anagrams

• afl.

Gagauz

Noun

laf

1. word

Derived terms

• laflık

Icelandic

Etymology

Old Norse laf, from Proto-Germanic *lappa-, of uncertain origin, possibly Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely”). If so, doublet of lafa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laːv/
• Rhymes: -aːv

Noun

laf n (genitive singular lafs, nominative plural löf)

1. lap, skirt (of a coat)

Declension

References

Anagrams

• afl

Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laːf/

Verb

laf

1. second-person singular imperative of lafen

Middle English

Noun

laf

1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of lof (“loaf, bread”)

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *laibu, from Proto-Germanic *laibō. More at lǣfan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɑːf/

Noun

lāf f

1. remains, remainder, left
   • c. 1011, "Byrhtferth's Manual", line 125

     Nu þǣr ys ān tō lāfe; gif þære Aprili.

     Now there is one left; give that April.

   • c. 971, Unknown, "The Blicking Homilies"

     ...forþon nū ġīt þrȳ dagas tō lāfe syndon þæt hīe hine willað ācwellan and him tō mete dōn.

     ...for three days yet remain, and then they will slay and eat him.

2. legacy
3. heirloom
4. widow

Declension

Descendants

• Middle English: love, lave, leve, loove; lafe, læve, loave
  • English: lave
  • Scots: lave

Old Frisian

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *laub, from Proto-Germanic *laubą, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to break”). Cognates include Old English lēaf, Old Saxon lōf and Old Dutch lōf.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaːf/

Noun

lāf n

1. leaf

Descendants

• West Frisian: leaf

References

• Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish لاف (laf, “boast; chat”), from Persian لاف (lâf).

Noun

laf n (plural lafuri)

1. twaddle

Declension

Somali

Etymology

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Oromo lafee and Rendille laf, Jiiddu lafi.

Noun

laf ?

1. bone

References

Turkish

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish لاف (laf, “boast; chat”), from Persian لاف (lâf).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɑf/, /ɫɑf/

Noun

laf (definite accusative lafı, plural laflar)

1. (idiomatic) word

Declension

References

• “laf”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “laf”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Redhouse, James W. (1890) “لاف”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎, Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 1619

Volapük

Noun

laf (nominative plural lafs)

1. half

Declension