lief

Meaning

Adj

1. Beloved, dear, agreeable.
2. Ready, willing.

Adv

Readily, willingly, rather.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/liːf/

Etymology

From Middle English lef, leve, leef, from Old English lēof, from Proto-West Germanic *leub, from Proto-Germanic *leubaz.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian ljo, ljoo, West Frisian leaf, Dutch lief, German Low German leev, German lieb, Swedish and Norwegian Nynorsk ljuv, Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍆𐍃 (liufs), Russian любо́вь (ljubóvʹ), Polish luby.
For the adverb, compare German lieber, Dutch liever (“preferably, rather”).