An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Lob

by Friedrich Kluge

Lob, n., ‘praise,’ from MidHG. lop (b), OHG. lob, n. and m., ‘praise, reward, glorification’; corresponding to Du. lof, AS. lof, m., ‘praise, fame’; OIc. lof. n., ‘fame, reward, praise, laudatory poem,’ also ‘permission,’ points to the similarity of the roots of loben and erlauben (comp. MidHG. urloup and urlop, ‘permission’). The old gradation lub-liub-laub comprises ModHG. Lob, lieb, glauben, and erlauben; in AS., lufu (equiv. to E. love) is the weakest form of the root with the meaning corresponding to HG. lieb (Goth. liufs), Under lieb the prim. sense of the Aryan root leubh (Sans. lubh, Lat. lubet, lubido) is assumed to be ‘inclination’; in meaning, Lith. liaupsě, ‘hymn,’ láupsinti, ‘to extol,’ are the most closely allied. With regard to the gradation, it is also noteworthy that MidHG. and ModHG. loben, OHG. lobôn, lobên, vb., AS. lofian, vb., ‘to praise,’ are represented in OIc. by lofa, vb., ‘to praise, commend, permit,’ and that OIc. leyfa (from *laubjan) has also the same double sense. — ModHG. and MidHG. lobesam, adj., ‘laudable,’ OHG. lobosam, AS. lofsum; Goth. galufs, galaufs, ‘precious,’ lit. ‘having praise,’ so too OHG. glob, ‘precious.’