live
To be alive; to have life; to remain alive.
Etymology
From Old English lifian/libban (to live, to be alive), from Proto-Germanic *libjaną, from PIE *gʷeyh₃- (to live, to be alive). The same root gave Latin vīvere (to live), Greek bios (life), and Sanskrit jīvati (he lives). The PIE labiovelars (*gʷ) regularly became /b/ or /l/ in different Germanic contexts.
The Journey: *gʷeyh₃- → live
*gʷeyh₃-
*libjaną
lifian
live
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 | vīvere — to live |
| Sanskrit | jīvati — he lives |
| Old Irish | biu — I am |
| Lithuanian | gyventi — to live |
Did You Know?
The words life, live, and liver all come from the same root. Ancient peoples considered the liver the seat of life — the organ that 'lives' inside you.
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷeyh₃-. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.