lufian

Middle English

Verb

lufian

1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of loven (“to love”)

Old English

Alternative forms

• lufiġean

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *lubōn, derived from the noun *lubu (“love”). Equivalent to lufu +‎ -ian. Cognate with Old Frisian luvia, Old High German lubōn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlu.fi.ɑn/, [ˈlu.vi.ɑn]

Verb

lufian

1. to love

   Ġif þū wille bēon ġelufod, lufa.

   If you want to be loved, love.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Second Sunday After Easter"

     Sē Hǣlend cwæþ be him, "Iċ eom gōd hierde, and iċ oncnāwe mīn sċēap, and hīe oncnāwaþ mē." Þæt is, "Iċ lufiġe hīe, and hīe lufiaþ mē."

     Jesus said about himself, "I'm a good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and they know me." That is, "I love them, and they love me."

   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Matthew 6:5

     Þonne ġē ēow ġebidden, ne bēoþ ġē swelċe līċetteras. Þā lufiaþ þæt hīe ġebidden hīe standende on ġesamnungum and strǣta hyrnum þæt menn hīe ġesēon.

     When you pray, don't be like hypocrites. They love to pray standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people will see them.

   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, John 21:17

     Þā wæs Petrus sāriġ for þām þe hē cwæþ þriddan sīðe tō him, "Lufast þū me?" And hē cwæþ tō him, "Dryhten, þū wāst eall þing; þū wāst þæt iċ þē lufiġe."

     Peter felt hurt because he asked him a third time, "Do you love me?" And he told him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."

Conjugation

Conjugation of lufian (weak class 2)

infinitive	lufian	lufienne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	lufiġe	lufode
second person singular	lufast	lufodest
third person singular	lufaþ	lufode
plural	lufiaþ	lufodon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	lufiġe	lufode
plural	lufiġen	lufoden
imperative
singular	lufa
plural	lufiaþ
participle	present	past
	lufiende	(ġe)lufod

Derived terms

• ġelufian
• lufiend

Descendants

• Middle English: loven, lofe, love, lovye, lovyen, lowen, lufe, lufen, luffe, luve; loviȝe, lovin, lufian, lufiæn, lufiȝe, lufiȝen, luvan, luven, luvie, luvien, luviȝe, luviȝen, luvyen (Early Middle English); lufenn (Ormulum)
  • English: love
  • Scots: luve