Lief vs Rief - What's the difference?
lief | rief |
(archaic) beloved, dear, agreeable
(archaic) willing
(archaic, except UK dialectal) Readily, willingly.
* 1869 , RD Blackmoore, Lorna Doone , II:
(robbery).
* 1567 July 19, Proclamation by the Earl of Bedford'', quoted in ''Calendar of State Papers, foreign series, of the Reign of Elizabeth, 1566-8 (1871), volume 10:
* 1822 , Alexander Peterkin, Notes on Orkney and Zetland , page 61:
* (rfdate) James Taylor, The Pictorial History of Scotland , volume 2, page 133:
As an adjective lief
is beloved, dear, agreeable.As an adverb lief
is readily, willingly.As a noun rief is
alternative form of reif robbery.lief
English
Adjective
Derived terms
*Adverb
- these great masters of the art, who would far liefer see us little ones practice it, than themselves engage [...].
- I'd as lief have one as t'other.
Derived terms
*Quotations
* (English Citations of "lief")Anagrams
* (l) * (l), (l) ----rief
English
Noun
(-)- [The earl] commands all within his charge to abstain from reiving or stealing from the subjects of Scotland. For such riefs as have been made upon them, the Queen minds to have the same mended by justice.
- here the record is quite defaced and worn out, insomuch that only the words of the charge, viz. extortions, insolvencies, riefs , and oppressions, can be discovered
- Murders, riefs , and spoliations became more common on the Borders after this raid than they had ever been before.