leven

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛvən/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛvən

Etymology 1

See levin.

Noun

leven

1. eleven
2. (obsolete) Alternative spelling of levin (“lightning”).

Etymology 2

See leaven

Verb

leven (third-person singular simple present levens, present participle levening, simple past and past participle levened)

1. Obsolete spelling of leaven

References

• “leven”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

See also

• forty-leven

Anagrams

• Nevel, elven

Bislama

Etymology

From English eleven.

Numeral

leven

1. eleven

Danish

Etymology 1

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /leːˀvən/, ,

Noun

leven c

1. definite singular of lev (“bread”, archaic)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɛfən/,

Noun

leven c

1. definite singular of lev (“lev”, currency)

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /leːvən/, ,

1. gerund of leve

Dutch

Alternative forms

• leeven (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈleːvə(n)/

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: le‧ven
• Rhymes: -eːvən

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch leven, from Old Dutch *libben, *livon, from Proto-West Germanic *libbjan.

Verb

leven

1. (intransitive) to live

   Ik wil leven in een stad dicht bij de natuur. ― I want to live in a city close to nature.

   Ze leeft voor haar kunst. ― She lives for her art.

   Hij heeft lang geleefd en veel meegemaakt. ― He has lived a long life and experienced much.

Inflection

Derived terms

Descendants

• Afrikaans: leef, lewe
• Berbice Creole Dutch: lefu
• Jersey Dutch: lêve
• Negerhollands: leev, lif, leven

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch leven. Gerund of the verb leven.

Noun

leven n (plural levens, diminutive leventje n)

1. life

   Het leven is vol verrassingen. ― Life is full of surprises.

   Hij wilde zijn leven wijden aan wetenschappelijk onderzoek. ― He wanted to dedicate his life to scientific research.

   In mijn vrije tijd geniet ik van het leven. ― In my free time, I enjoy life.

Derived terms

• hondenleven
• levensbelang
• levensbeschouwing
• levensduur
• levenseinde
• levensgevaar
• levensjaar
• levenslang
• levensleugen
• levenslied
• levensloop
• levenslust
• levensstijl
• levensvorm

Descendants

• Afrikaans: lewe

Anagrams

• nevel

Galician

Verb

leven

1. inflection of levar:
   1. third-person plural present subjunctive
   2. third-person plural imperative

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *libben, *livon, from Proto-West Germanic *libbjan.

Verb

lēven

1. to live, to be alive
2. to live one's life
3. to live, to dwell

Inflection

Descendants

• Dutch: leven, leeven
  • Afrikaans: leef, lewe
  • Berbice Creole Dutch: lefu
  • Jersey Dutch: lêve
  • Negerhollands: leev, lif, leven
• Limburgish: laeve

Further reading

• “leven (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “leven (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English lǣfan, from Proto-West Germanic *laibijan.

Alternative forms

• leaven, lefven

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛːvən/

Verb

leven

1. to leave

Conjugation

Descendants

• English: leave
• Scots: leve, leif
• Yola: laave, lea, lee

References

• “lēven, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Verb

leven

1. Alternative form of lyven

Etymology 3

Noun

leven

1. lightning
   • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Wyfe of Bathes Prologue”, in The Canterbury Tales, , →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, , : [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes , 1542, →OCLC:

     With wilde thunder dint and fiery leven.

     With wild thunder-bolt and fiery lightning.

Middle Low German

Etymology

From Old Saxon libbian.

Pronunciation

• Stem vowel: ē²
  • (originally) IPA^(key): /lɪɛvən/

Verb

leven

1. to live

Conjugation

Related terms

• levend/levent

Descendants

• German Low German: lęven, lewen, lewe

Scots

Noun

leven

1. A lawn; an open space between woods
   • 1803, Walter Scott, Thomas the Rhymer:

     lily leven (a lawn overspread with lilies or flowers)

References

Spanish

Verb

leven

1. inflection of levar:
   1. third-person plural present subjunctive
   2. third-person plural imperative

Swedish

Noun

leven

1. definite singular of lev

References