laf

See also: Laf

Albanian

Noun

laf m

1. Alternative form of llaf

References

• Meyer, G. (1891) “ľaf”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch der albanesischen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the Albanian Language] (in German), Strasbourg: Karl J. Trübner, →DOI, page 233

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch laf, from Proto-Germanic *laba-, from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely”).^[1] Cognate with German laff (“slack, insipid”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑf

Adjective

laf (comparative laffer, superlative lafst)

1. cowardly

   Maar de algemene regel is dat de man, "zwak of sterk", volgens Kuyper "Koning in zijn huis" is en dat "Een man die zijn vrouw in huis 'de baas laat spelen' laf en onmannelijk is.^(WP) — But the general rule is that the man, "weak or strong," according to Kuyper "is king of his house" and that "a man who lets his wife 'play the boss' is cowardly and unmanly."

Declension

Declension of laf
uninflected	laf
inflected	laffe
comparative	laffer
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		laf	laffer	het lafst het lafste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	laffe	laffere	lafste
	n. sing.	laf	laffer	lafste
	plural	laffe	laffere	lafste
definite		laffe	laffere	lafste
partitive		lafs	laffers	—

Derived terms

• lafaard
• lafbek
• lafheid
• lafjes
• lafweg

 

Descendants

• → Papiamentu: laf

References

1. Guus Kroonen (2013) “laben”, in Alexander Lubotsky, editor, Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 321

Anagrams

• afl.

Gagauz

Noun

laf

1. word

Derived terms

• laflık

Icelandic

Etymology

Old Norse laf, from Proto-Germanic *lappa-, of uncertain origin, possibly Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely”).^[1][2] If so, doublet of lafa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laːv/
• Rhymes: -aːv

Noun

laf n (genitive singular lafs, nominative plural löf)

1. lap, skirt (of a coat)

Declension

Declension of laf
n-s	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	laf	lafið	löf	löfin
accusative	laf	lafið	löf	löfin
dative	lafi	lafinu	löfum	löfunum
genitive	lafs	lafsins	lafa	lafanna

References

1. Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “lap”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
2. Roberts, Edward A. (2014) “lapa”, in A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Spanish Language with Families of Words based on Indo-European Roots, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN

Anagrams

• afl

Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laːf/

Verb

laf

1. second-person singular imperative of lafen

Middle English

Noun

laf

1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of lof (“loaf, bread”)

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *laibu, from Proto-Germanic *laibō. More at lǣfan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɑːf/

Noun

lāf f

1. remains, remainder, left
   • c. 1011, Byrhtferth, Manual, line 125

     Nu þǣr ys ān tō lāfe; gif þære Aprili.

     Now there is one left; give that April.

   • c. 971, Unknown, "The Blicking Homilies"

     ...forþon nū ġīt þrȳ dagas tō lāfe syndon þæt hīe hine willað ācwellan and him tō mete dōn.

     ...for three days yet remain, and then they will slay and eat him.

2. legacy
3. heirloom
4. widow

Declension

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	lāf	lāfa, lāfe
accusative	lāfe	lāfa, lāfe
genitive	lāfe	lāfa
dative	lāfe	lāfum

Declension of lāf (strong ō-stem)

Derived terms

• Eċġlāf
• Dēorlāf

Descendants

• Middle English: love, lave, leve, loove, lafe, læve, loave (Early Middle English)
  • English: lave
  • Scots: lave

Old Frisian

Ēn lāf.

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *laub, from Proto-Germanic *laubą, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to break”). Cognates include Old English lēaf, Old Saxon lōf and Old Dutch lōf.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaːf/

Noun

lāf n

1. leaf

Descendants

• West Frisian: leaf

References

• Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish لاف (laf, “boast; chat”), from Persian لاف (lâf).

Noun

laf n (plural lafuri)

1. twaddle

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) laf	laful	(niște) lafuri	lafurile
genitive/dative	(unui) laf	lafului	(unor) lafuri	lafurilor
vocative	lafule		lafurilor

Declension of laf

Somali

Etymology

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Oromo lafee and Rendille laf, Jiiddu lafi.^[1]

Noun

laf ?

1. bone

References

1. Salim Alio Ibro (1998) English-Jiddu-Somali Mini-Dictionary, Victoria, Australia: La Trobe University Language Center, →ISBN

Turkish

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish لاف (laf, “boast; chat”), from Persian لاف (lâf).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɑf/, /ɫɑf/

Noun

laf (definite accusative lafı, plural laflar)

1. (idiomatic) word

Declension

Inflection
Nominative	laf
Definite accusative	lafı
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	laf	laflar
Definite accusative	lafı	lafları
Dative	lafa	laflara
Locative	lafta	laflarda
Ablative	laftan	laflardan
Genitive	lafın	lafların
Possessive forms Nominative Singular Plural 1st singular lafım laflarım 2nd singular lafın lafların 3rd singular lafı lafları 1st plural lafımız laflarımız 2nd plural lafınız laflarınız 3rd plural lafları lafları Definite accusative Singular Plural 1st singular lafımı laflarımı 2nd singular lafını laflarını 3rd singular lafını laflarını 1st plural lafımızı laflarımızı 2nd plural lafınızı laflarınızı 3rd plural laflarını laflarını Dative Singular Plural 1st singular lafıma laflarıma 2nd singular lafına laflarına 3rd singular lafına laflarına 1st plural lafımıza laflarımıza 2nd plural lafınıza laflarınıza 3rd plural laflarına laflarına Locative Singular Plural 1st singular lafımda laflarımda 2nd singular lafında laflarında 3rd singular lafında laflarında 1st plural lafımızda laflarımızda 2nd plural lafınızda laflarınızda 3rd plural laflarında laflarında Ablative Singular Plural 1st singular lafımdan laflarımdan 2nd singular lafından laflarından 3rd singular lafından laflarından 1st plural lafımızdan laflarımızdan 2nd plural lafınızdan laflarınızdan 3rd plural laflarından laflarından Genitive Singular Plural 1st singular lafımın laflarımın 2nd singular lafının laflarının 3rd singular lafının laflarının 1st plural lafımızın laflarımızın 2nd plural lafınızın laflarınızın 3rd plural laflarının laflarının

References

• “laf”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “laf”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Redhouse, James W. (1890) “لاف”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎, Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 1619

Volapük

Noun

laf (nominative plural lafs)

1. half

Declension

	singular	plural
nominative	laf	lafs
genitive	lafa	lafas
dative	lafe	lafes
accusative	lafi	lafis
vocative 1	o laf!	o lafs!
predicative 2	lafu	lafus

declension of laf

• ¹ status as a case is disputed
• ² in later, non-classical Volapük only