Forms: α. 1 líflád, 2–5 lif-, 3–6 lyf-, 4 liif-, lyff-, lyif-, 4–6 lyfe-, lyve-, 4–7 live-; 2–4 -lad, 3–7 -lode, 4 -ladd, -laid(e, -late, -led(e, 4–6 -lode, -lood, 4–7 -lod, -loode, 5 -lothe, Sc. -lat, 5–7 -load, 6 -lodde, Sc. -lait, -lett. β. 5 livelhood, -hud, liffleod, 6 lyveliod, livelihod, livelehood, lyvelyhoode, 7 liveliehood, 6– livelihood. [OE. líflád, f. líf life + lád course, way, also subsistence (see LOAD, LODE). Cf. the corresponding OHG. lîbleita provisions, subsistence, f. lîb life + leita conduct. In the 16th c. the spelling was gradually assimilated (see forms) to that of LIVELIHOOD2, -HEAD.]
† 1. Course of life, lifetime; kind or manner of life; conduct. Obs.
c. 1000. Benedictine Rule, i. (Schröer-Wülker), 9/20. Þæt feorðe muneca cyn is, þe is Widscriþul ʓenæmned, þa ealle heora liflade [L. tota vita sua] ʓeond missenlice þeoda farað.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 85. Hwet is þet he mei mare spenen of his aȝen feire forbisne of his aȝene liflade.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 5. Þurh englene liflade & heuenlich þat leades þah ha licomliche wunie up on eorðe.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1506. I find na term of his [caymes] liuelaid. Ibid. (a. 1300), 2009. A neu liuelade cun þai bigin.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. xii. 217. For gouernaunce and reule of her lijflode.
a. 1470. G. Ashby, Dicta Philos., 374. Directe his levelode profitably.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 344. How is this contrarye to ye auncient custome … of the Elders, If ministers … marry wives for the necessary comfort of theyr livelyhood?
2. Means of living, maintenance, sustenance; esp. in to earn, gain, get, make, seek a livelihood.
a. 1300. Fall & Passion, 37, in E. E. P. (1862), 13. In þe vale of eboir his liuelod he [Adam] most swink sore.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1962. Ete … Na o fouxul þat refes his liuelade.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 133. Þat þe lude myȝt haf leue liflode to cach.
1357. Lay Folks Catech., 212. We … withdrawes lyuelade fra tham that nede haues.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxiv. (Alexis), 169. And Ilke day thigyt his lyf-led At þame þat passage-by þare mad.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VII. 331. Lanfrank … was a man þat kouþe doo no grete werkes to gete his liflode þerwiþ.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., 342. Poul … wrouȝte with hise hondis forto haue his lijflode.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IX. 376. My lyflat is bot honest chewysance.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 40/2. Noe began to labouer for his lyfelode with his sones.
1581. Marbeck, Bk. of Notes, 1104. Then must it be the Priests wages, which at that time had no other livelode.
1611. Bible, Pref. to Rdr., ¶ 1. Those noursing fathers and mothers … that withdraw from them who hang vpon their breasts … liuelyhood and support fit for their estates.
1660. Wood, Life, Dec. (O. H. S.), I. 360. To gaine a bare livelihood.
1680. Aubrey, in Lett. Eminent Persons (1813), III. 401. What he did for his delight and recreation only when a boy, proved to be his livelihood when a man.
1702. Eng. Theophrast., 117. A hazardous Trade to which they have bound themselves to get a Livelyhood.
1719. W. Wood, Surv. Trade, 297. To … restrain our own Subjects from … seeking their Livelihoods.
1727. De Foe, Syst. Magic, I. i. (1840), 4. They made a livelihood or trade of it.
1830. Herschel, Stud. Nat. Phil., 6. Fishermen who gain their livelihood on its waters.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 118. Let each man practise one art which is to be his livelihood.
1882. Jean L. Watson, Life R. S. Candlish, vii. 87. When Dr. Candlish left the Establishment he did so without any prospect of a livelihood.
† b. Corporeal sustenance, food, victuals. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 19835. Quils þai dight him his liuelade, In orisun he lai and bade.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxxvi. (Baptista), 280. Wyld hony wes his lyflede, & a thinge callit locusta.
1382. Wyclif, Deut. ii. 28. Lyuelodis bi prijs sel to vs, that we eeten.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 21. Crist … wold not curse hem þat denoied to Him harborow & lifelod.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 122/2. Oaks, Elms, Ashes, Walnuts, Chesnuts, and such Trees, wrong them [Fruit Trees] … of their Livelyhood.
† c. In immaterial sense or fig. Obs.
1616. Hieron, Wks., II. 38. Faith is (as it were) the liuelyhood of a Christian: it is the stocke whereon hee liues.
1639. Drumm. of Hawth., Answ. to Objections, Wks. (1711), 214. We will allow no livelyhood to tender consciences.
1678. Bunyan, Pilgr., I. (1900), 118. His livelihood was upon things that were Spiritual [marg. note, Little-Faith could not live upon Esaus Pottage].
† 3. Income, revenue, stipend; pl. emoluments.
1422. E. E. Wills (1882), 51. I bequeth to two prestes,… resonable lyuelode.
1433. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 424/2. Some withoute any liflode or guerdon.
1439. W. Byngham, Petit. to Hen. VI., in Willis & Clark, Cambridge (1886), I. Introd. 56. For all liberall sciences used in your seid universitees certein lyflode is ordeyned and endued.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 308/2. Lyflode, or warysone,… donativum.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., x. (1885), 131. How necessarie it is that he [the King] haue grete livelod aboff the same charges.
1463. Bury Wills (Camden), 29. The seid Marie preest to haue the seyd iijs. iiijd. to avmentacion of his lifloode.
1475. Bk. Noblesse (Roxb.), 32. Rewarded in lifelode of londes and tenementis yoven in the counte of Mayne.
1502. Arnolde, Chron. (1811), 270. The Yerely Stint of the Lyuelod belonging to London Brydge.
1530–1. Act 22 Hen. VIII., c. 15. Any spirituall persone … hauyng any dignitee, benefyce, promocion, or other spirituall lyuelode, within the prouince of Yorke.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron. (1809), 199. The Cardinall … gave Elizabeth Beauchampe thre C. markes of Livelod.
1563–83. Foxe, A. & M., II. 1052. I … exhorte you to beare your partes of your liuelode & salarie towerd the paiment of this summe graunted.
1621. Bp. Mountagu, Diatribæ, 297. There was payed vnto the Sanctuary for them λυτρον, which went to the maintenance of the Priests amongst their other liuelyhoods and Reuenues.
† 4. Property yielding an income, landed or inherited property; an estate, inheritance, patrimony. Also, man of (great, small) livelihood. Obs.
1413. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), IV. xxx. 80. Yf the Chyuetayne were taken of the same countre where that he is enheryted and hath his lyuelode.
1438. E. E. Wills (1882), 111. Item all myn owne lyuelode to remeyne to my next heires.
c. 1440. Partonope, 5013. He was no man of grete lifelode.
1465[?]. Paston Lett., II. 254. What tyme that I rode oute aboute my litil livelod.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, I. iii. Syre Ector … had grete lyuelode aboute london.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Poge, iv. [None ought to hunt and hawk] withoute he be moche ryche and man of lyuelode.
1513. Bk. Keruynge, in Babees Bk. (1868), 285. Some lorde is of blode royall & of small lyuelode.
1528. Tindale, Obed. Chr. Man, 94 b. To byld abbays, to endote them with lyvelode, to be prayd fore for ever.
1545. Brinklow, Compl., xv. (1874), 38. Thei can not be content with the sufficyent lyuelodes that their fathers left them.
1570. Queen’s Councell’s Let., 7 Feb. (in N. & Q., 1 Aug. 1857, 85/1). Such speciall men of lyveliod and worshipp of the said Countie as have interest herein.
1594. Carew, Tasso (1881), 15. To this liuelode that from his mother came, Conquests he winned.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 411. Being entred once vpon those grounds as his owne liuelode and possession.
1627. Sir R. Cotton, in Rushw., Hist. Coll. (1659), I. 469. For the Land-forces, if it were for an Offensive War, the men of less livelihood were the best spared.
5. Comb.: † livelod-man, man of property.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VI. 72. This lyflat man hyr gat in mariage.
c. 1500. Melusine, vi. 31. I shal make the for to be … the gretest and best lyuelod man [F. terrien] of them all.
1570. Henry’s Wallace, VII. 869. The lyflait men [c. 1470. the blessit men], that was off Scotland borne, Fwnde at his faith Wallace gert thaim be sworn.
