Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
leofre. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
leofre, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
leofre in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
leofre you have here. The definition of the word
leofre will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
leofre, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Old English
Etymology
The adverbial use dates back at least to Proto-West Germanic, when the word would have been *leubōzā. This usage persists into Modern German to this day: Proto-West Germanic *miz isti leubōzā (“I would rather”) → Old English mē is lēofre, German mir ist lieber.
Pronunciation
Adjective
lēofre
- inflection of lēof:
- strong genitive and dative feminine singular
- nominative feminine singular comparative degree
- nominative and accusative neuter singular comparative degree
Adverb
lēofre
- used to specify a choice or preference: rather
- late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans
Him wæs lēofre þæt hine man ofslōge þonne hine man ġebunde.- He would rather be killed than be bound in chains.
- late 10th century, Ælfric, the Old English Hexateuch, Genesis 29:19
Lēofre mē is þæt iċ hīe selle þē þonne ōðrum menn. Wuna mid mē!- I'd rather give her to you than to someone else. Stay with me!
- c. 1000, unknown author, Vercelli Homily IX
Ġif hwelċ mann biþ on helle āne niht, þonne biþ him lēofre þæt hē hangiġe seofon þūsende wintra on þām lenġestan treowe ufeweardum.- Anyone who spends one day in hell would rather hang for seven thousand years from the top of the tallest tree.
- late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans
Hīe cwǣdon þæt him lēofre wǣre þæt hīe mid þǣre byrġ ætgædere forwurden þonne hīe man būtan him tōwurpe.- They said that they would rather perish together with the city than for it to be destroyed without them.
- late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans
Scīpio ġebræġd his sweord and swōr þæt him lēofre wǣre þæt hē hine selfne ācwealde þonne hē forlēte his fæderēðel, and sæġde ēac þæt hē þāra ǣlċes wolde ēhtan swā swā his fēondes þe þæs wordes wǣre þæt fram Rōme byrġ þōhte.- Scipio drew his sword and swore that he would rather kill himself than desert his fatherland, and said that he would pursue anyone as his enemy who confessed they planned to leave Rome.
- c. 1005, Ælfric's Letter to Sigeweard
Hū mæġ sē mann wel faran þe his mōd āwent fram eallum þissum bōcum, and biþ him swā ānwille þæt him lēofre biþ þæt hē libbe ǣfre be his āgnum dihte āsċīred fram þissum, swelċe hē ne cunne Cristes ġesetnessa?- How can someone do well if they turn their mind from all these books , if they're so stubborn that they would rather live their life always making their own separate judgments, as if they don't know the laws of Christ?
Descendants