English
lovesome
Lovesome comes from Old English lufsum ‘loving, lovable, pleasant’, from lufu ‘love’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewbʰ-‘to love, care for, desire’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lubō‘love, affection’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*lubu‘love’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150lufu‘love’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150lufsum‘loving, lovable, pleasant’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lufsom
- Englishearliest quotation 1700lovesome
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewbʰ-‘to love, care for, desire’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lubō‘love, affection’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*lubu‘love’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150lufu‘love’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150lufsum‘loving, lovable, pleasant’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lufsom
- Englishearliest quotation 1700lovesome
Earliest quotation: 1700, John Dryden, The Beginning of the First Book of Lucretius,: “Through all the living Regions dost thou move, And…”
Formed from love + -some
Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- ‘love’
…
Proto-Germanic *lubō ‘love’
Proto-West Germanic *lubu
Old English lufu
Middle English love ‘love’
English love
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- ‘to love, care for, desire’
left, believe, leave, library, belief, leaf, lovely, lodge, lobby, lib, libel, loft, libido, liber, lob, libretto, luft, lief, 15 more
through Proto-West Germanic *lubu ‘love’
Today it means
adj Worthy of love; having qualities that inspire love; lovable.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- / lovesome