leev

Central Franconian

Alternative forms

• leef (Moselle Franconian, northern), lief (southern)

Etymology

From Middle High German lief, from Old High German *liof, lief, northern variant of liob, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /leːf/
• Homophone: leef

Adjective

leev (masculine leeve, feminine and plural leev or leeve, comparative leever, superlative et leevste)

1. (Ripuarian) lovable, sweet, dear, darling, good-hearted

   Woröm säs de mer net ens jet Leeves?

   Why don’t you say something sweet to me for once?

   • 1975, “Leev Linda Lou”‎^[1]performed by Bläck Fööss:

     Du verdräs einfach mieh als ich,
     Ich jläuv, du drinks mich unger der Desch.
     O Linda, Linda, Linda Lou, o Linda, Linda Lou!
     Keiner schaff su vill wie du, leev Linda Lou...

     You can simply take more than me,
     I'm sure you'll drink me under the table.
     O Linda, Linda, Linda Lou, o Linda, Linda Lou!
     Nobody can drink as much as you, dear Linda Lou...

Inflection

Inflection example for leev (Kölsch and central Ripuarian)

		masculine	neuter	feminine	plural
positive
predicative / adverbial		leev
common case	strong	leeve	leev
	weak
	partitive	leeves		—
dative case	initial	leevem		leever	leeve
	non-initial	leeve
comparative
predicative / adverbial		leever
common case	strong	leevere	leever
	weak
	partitive	leeveres		—
dative case	initial	leeverem		leeverer	leevere
	non-initial	leevere
superlative
predicative / adverbial		et leevste
common case	strong	leevste
	weak
dative case	initial	leevstem		leevster	leevste
	non-initial	leevste
In this declension type, strong (indefinite) and weak (definite) forms are either not at all distinguished or by tone only. The partitive form follows certain indefinite pronouns like jet (“something”). In the singular dative, there is a simpler distinction between “initial” and “non-initial” position, depending on whether the adjective is the first declined word of the noun phrase or not.

See also

• jään