An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/leben

by Friedrich Kluge

leben, vb., ‘to live,’ from the equiv. MidHG. lëben, OHG. lëbên; corresponding to Goth. liban (pret. libaida), AS. libban, E. to live, Du. leven; Scand. lifą, ‘to live,’ and also ‘to be remaining.’ This proves the identity of the stem lib, ‘to live,’ with that of bleiben (Goth. bileiban); hence the connection with Gr. λΓπαραεῖν, ‘to persist', to which λιπαρής, ‘persistent, industrious,’ is allied, probably also Lith. lìpti, ‘to adhere.’ Comp. bleiben and Leib.