love
An intense feeling of deep affection; to feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment.
Etymology
From Old English lufu "love, affection," from Proto-Germanic *lubō, from PIE *lewbʰ- "to care, desire, love." The word's PIE ancestor carried a sense of desire and approval. The related Latin word libēre "to please" gave English "liberty" (freedom to do as one pleases) and "libido."
The Journey: *lewbʰ- → love
*lewbʰ-
*lubō
lufu
love
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *lewbʰ-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Latin | libēre (to please), libīdō |
| Russian | ljubovĭ (love) |
| Sanskrit | lubhyati (desires) |
| Lithuanian | liaupsė (praise) |
| Old Church Slavonic | ljubŭ (dear) |
Did You Know?
PIE *lewbʰ- "to desire" gives English both "love" (via Germanic) and "liberty" and "libido" (via Latin). Love and freedom share the same root — both are about following desire.
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *lewbʰ-. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.