Obs. Forms: 1 léfan, líefan, lýfan, 2–3 luven, 2–5 leve(n, 3, 5 lefen, (3 leaven, leove), 3–4 live(n, (4 lieve, lyff, lyve), 5–6 leev(e, Sc. leif. [OE. (Anglian) léfan, (WS.) líefan, a shortened form of ʓeléfan, ʓelíefan: see Y-LEVE, BELIEVE vbs.]
1. intr. To believe in, on, up, upon; also to trust, give credence to a person or thing; = BELIEVE 1.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 75. To luuene ine god mote fif þing.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 11. Cursed be þe man þe leueð upen hwate.
c. 1200. Ormin, 939. Hu ȝuw birrþ leden ȝuw And lefenn uppo Criste.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 328. Me hwet is mare medschipe þen for to leuen on him.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVII. 20. Lo here in my lappe þat leued on þat charme, Iosue and Iudith.
1382. Wyclif, Ecclus. xxxii. 27. Who leeueth to God, taketh heed to the hestes.
a. 1400. Pistill Susan, 358. Who so leviþ [MS. A. leeueþ] on our lord dar hym not lese.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg., 73. Ȝhe, Conscience, now to þi wordis y leeue.
c. 1430. How Gd. Wijf tauȝte hir Douȝtir, 159, in Babees Bk. Nocht leif to vantoune giglotriss.
c. 1450. Erle Tolous, 555. My wele, my wytt, ys all away, But ye leue on my lore.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 1107. To leif in thi laute.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 944. My treuth I the plicht, That I sall lelely leef on thy Lord ay.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (1856), II. 168. That all quhilk leuit vpone Christis lair, In his defence sould follow.
b. Without construction: To exercise faith.
a. 900. O. E. Martyrol., 8 Nov., 202. Ða lyfde se gode ond fulwihte onfeng.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 81. We wolden sen sum fortocne of þe Warbi we mihten … leuen.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1703. Þenne he laued þat lorde & leued in trawþe.
a. 1352. Minot, Poems, iii. 16. Leves wele it es no lye.
1382. Wyclif, Ecclus. xix. 4. Who leeueth sone, is liȝt in herte.
14[?]. How Wise Man taught Son, in Ritson, Anc. Pop. Poetry, 36. Common women, as j leve Make zong men evyle to spede.
c. 1440. Partonope, 83. Levyth [printed lenyth] well this ys no fable.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl. (E.E.T.S.), 396. Ther he lyves in flesh and blood, as fully leeven we.
2. trans. a. To believe, give credence to (a person); occas. to believe in, to trust. b. To believe, give credence to (a thing, also with obj. clause either with or without that); to accept (an alleged fact, a statement); = BELIEVE 5–8.
971. Blickl. Hom., 11. Swa is to lyfenne þæt englas hie ʓeorne beheoldan.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 75. Þet ne leueð nan bute þe gode cristene Mon.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 430. Ȝef ha nalde leauen þat ha ȝet lefde.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 935. Abram leuede ðis hot in sped.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 6858. Þe kyng leuede him wel ynou.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 69. Þe lyȝt of hem myȝt no mon leuen.
13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.), 1584. Allas! Allas!… That y no hadde leued thi word!
c. 1330. Roland & V., 302. Who þat wil nouȝt leue me, In spaine men may þe soþe y-se.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 925 (Kölbing). Þine tale ich no leue.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. I. 36. Leef not þi licam, for lyȝere him techeþ. Ibid. (1377), P. Pl., B. XVIII. 187. Leuestow that ȝond liȝte unlouke myȝte helle.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 10. But goddis forbode but men schulde leue Wel more thyng than men han seyn with eye.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 333. It wole liȝtly be leeued of lewid men.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xx. 221. We wolde never han leved it, had wee not seen it.
1414. Brampton, Penit. Ps. (Percy Soc.), 31. Now may no man othir levyn.
1426. Audelay, Poems, 12. Leve he is a lyere.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 82. That ye take no yeftes, nor leuithe none euelle counsaile.
c. 1450. Merlin, 11. The lecherye that thow hast told, wher-of I can not leve the.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 71. Leif ye the lele.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, I. 852. A mountayne or hyll soner, leue ye me, Myght be remoeued. Ibid., 2266. They toke hym tenderly, ye may me leue full sure.
a. 1547. Surrey, Æneid, II. 314. Cassandra then … Her prophetes lippes, yet neuer of vs leeued, Disclosed eft.
c. 1570. Pride & Lowl. (1841), 67. And choose him how this matter he wyl leeven.
Hence † Leving vbl. sb., believing.
1533. More, Confut. Tindale, VIII. Wks. 799/2. Because it is a presumpteous hope, loking to be saued with damnable deuelyshe lieuing.
