Etymograph

English

lib

Abbreviation for various words beginning in lib-.

Another origin of lib

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lew-‘to cut, remove, prune, separate’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewbʰ-‘to desire, covet, want’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lubją‘wort, herb, drug, poison’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*lubi‘herbal medicine’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150lybb‘medicine, drug, potion, poison, charm’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500libbe
  7. Englishtodaylib

Another origin of lib

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyp-‘to leave, cling, linger’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*libjaną‘to live, to be alive’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*libbjan‘to live, be alive’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150libban‘to live’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lyvenas *libben‘to live’reconstructed
  6. Englishtodaylib

Possibly related to Old English *lybban (‘to doctor’), from Proto-West Germanic *lubbjan; or perhaps related to Old English lappa, læppa (‘lappet, piece, section, lobe, portion, district’).

Today it means

noun liberal

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / lib

Shirt and support for this word