life
The condition that distinguishes living organisms from dead ones; the period between birth and death.
Etymology
From Old English līf (life, existence), from Proto-Germanic *lībą, from PIE *gʷeyh₃- (to live). The same root produced Latin vīta (life), Greek bios (life), and Sanskrit jīva (living). The Germanic form with l- reflects the regular development of PIE *gʷ in this environment.
The Journey: *gʷeyh₃- → life
*gʷeyh₃-
*lībą
līf
life
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *gʷeyh₃-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Greek | bios (βίος) — life |
| Latin | vīta — life |
| Sanskrit | jīva — living |
| Old Irish | bethu — life |
| Lithuanian | gyvybė — life |
Did You Know?
The PIE root *gʷeyh₃- has given English both life (through Germanic) and biology, biography, and vitamin (through Greek and Latin) — an extraordinary breadth for a single root.
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷeyh₃-. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.