love

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See also: Love, LoVe, løve, lové, lóve, lóvé, lőve, and лове

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English love, luve, from Old English lufu, from Proto-West Germanic *lubu, from Proto-Germanic *lubō, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“love, care, desire”).

The close of a letter sense is presumably a truncation of With love or the like.

The verb is from Middle English loven, luvien, from Old English lufian (“to love”), from Proto-West Germanic *lubōn (“to love”), derived from the noun.

Eclipsed non-native English amour (“love”), borrowed from French amour (“love”).

Cognates include Russian любовь (ljubovʹ), Latin libido (“desire, lust”), Polish lubić and Sanskrit लोभ (lobha, “desire, greed”).

Noun

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Romeo and Juliet in love

love (countable and uncountable, plural loves)

  1. (uncountable) A deep caring for the existence of another.
  2. (uncountable) Strong affection.
    Antonyms: hate, hatred, angst, indifference
    1. A profound and caring affection towards someone.
      A mother’s love is not easily shaken.
      My husband’s love is the most important thing in my life.
      • 1674, John Milton, Paradise Lost:
        He on his side / Leaning half-raised, with looks of cordial love / Hung over her enamoured.
      • 2014, S. Hidden, Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Mystical Perspectives on the Love of God, →ISBN:
    2. Affectionate, benevolent concern or care for other people or beings, and for their well-being.
      • 1864, Utilitarianism Explained and Exemplified in Moral and Political Government:
        The love of your neighbor as yourself, is expressly given as the definition and test of Charity,—not alms-giving—and this love is [...] the highest of all the Divine commands[.]
      • 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., “A Tough Mind and a Tender Heart”, in Strength to Love‎[1], New York: Pocket Books, published 1964, →OCLC, page 7:
        Through nonviolent resistance we shall be able to oppose the unjust system and at the same time love the perpetrators of the system. We must work passionately and unrelentingly for full stature as citizens, but may it never be said, my friends, that to gain it we used the inferior methods of falsehood, malice, hate, and violence.
    3. A feeling of intense attraction towards someone.
      I have never been in love as much as I have with you.
    4. A deep or abiding liking for something; an enthusiasm for something.
      My love of cricket knows no bounds.
      • 2012, Philip Auerswald, The Coming Prosperity, →ISBN:
        For three decades, the average number of miles driven by US motorists increased steadily. Then, in 2007, that steady climb was suddenly halted. [...] What magic caused Americans to temper their longstanding love of the open road?
  3. (countable) A person who is the object of romantic feelings; a darling, a sweetheart, a beloved.
    Synonyms: baby, darling, honey, lover, pet, sweetheart; see also Thesaurus:sweetheart
  4. (colloquial, Commonwealth) A term of friendly address, regardless of feelings.
    Synonyms: mate, darling, lovey, sweetie, sweetheart
    Hello love, how can I help you?
  5. A thing, activity, etc. which is the object of one's deep liking or enthusiasm.
    • 1997 March, “Faces of Today's Black Woman”, in Ebony, volume 52, number 5, page 96:
      But it wasn't until [Theresa M. Claiborne] went to ROTC training camp at the University of California at Berkeley that she discovered that flying was her first love. "Pilots talk about getting bit by the flying bug," she says. "I thought, This is heaven."
  6. (euphemistic) Sexual desire; attachment based on sexual attraction.
    Synonyms: aphrodisia, carnality; see also Thesaurus:lust
    • 2013, Ronald Long, Men, Homosexuality, and the Gods, Routledge, →ISBN, page 3:
      The prospect that their cherished Greeks would have countenanced, much less honored, a love between men that expressed itself carnally, however, was not so easily assimilated.
  7. (euphemistic) Sexual activity.
    Synonyms: lovemaking, sex; see also Thesaurus:copulation
  8. An instance or episode of being in love; a love affair.
    Synonym: romance
    • 2014, E. L. Todd, Then Came Absolution, →ISBN:
      Maybe it was just a summer love, something with no future.
  9. Used as the closing, before the signature, of a letter, especially between good friends or family members, or by the young.
  10. Alternative letter-case form of Love (“personification of love”).
    • c. 1810, Samuel Johnson (in The Works of Samuel Johnson):
      At busy hearts in vain love's arrows fly; [...]
  11. (obsolete) A thin silk material.
    • 1664, Robert Boyle, Experiments and Considerations Touching Colours, […] :
      Such a kind of transparency, as that of a Sive, a piece of Cyprus, or a Love-Hood.
  12. A climbing plant, Clematis vitalba.
Translations
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See love/translations § Noun.

Verb

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love (third-person singular simple present loves, present participle loving, simple past and past participle loved)

  1. (usually transitive, sometimes intransitive, stative) To have a strong affection for (someone or something).
    I love my spouse.   I love you!   I love that song!
  2. (transitive) To need, thrive on.
    Mold loves moist, dark places.
  3. (transitive) To be strongly inclined towards something; an emphatic form of like.
    I love walking barefoot on wet grass;  I'd love to join the team;  I love what you've done with your hair
  4. (usually transitive, sometimes intransitive) To seek the good or honor of (someone), care deeply about, to be dedicated to (someone or something).
  5. (transitive, sometimes ironic) To derive delight from a fact or situation.
    I love the fact that the coffee shop now offers fat-free chai latte.
  7. (Internet) Synonym of heart (verb).
    Coordinate terms: like, unlike
    She loved my photos of the kids playing with the dogs.
  8. (transitive, euphemistic) To have sex with (perhaps from make love).
    I wish I could love her all night long.
Conjugation
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Conjugation of love
infinitive (to) love
present tense past tense
1st-person singular love loved
2nd-person singular love, lovest† loved, lovedst†
3rd-person singular loves, loveth† loved
plural love
subjunctive love loved
imperative love —
participles loving loved

†Archaic or obsolete.

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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Derived terms
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Terms derived from the noun or verb love
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Descendants
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  • Sranan Tongo: lobi
Translations
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See love/translations § Verb.

See also

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Etymology 2

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Now widely believed (due to historical written record) to be from the idea that when one does a thing “for love” it is for no monetary gain, the word “love” thus implying "nothing".

The former assumption that it had originated from French l’œuf (literally “the egg”), due to its shape, has largely been discredited and is no longer widely accepted. However, the apparent similarity of the shape of an egg to a zero has inspired similar analogies, such as the use of duck (reputed to be short for duck's egg) for a zero score at cricket, and goose egg for "zero".

Noun

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love (uncountable)

  1. (racquet sports, billiards) Zero, no score.
    So that’s fifteen-love to Kournikova.
    • 2013, Paul McNamee, Game Changer: My Tennis Life:
      The next day Agassi came back from two sets to love down to beat Courier in five sets.
  2. Nothing; no recompense.
    • 1916, H. Rider Haggard, The Ivory Child:
      I fought the white man for less than sixpence. I fought him for love, which is nothing at all.
Translations
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Etymology 3

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Verb

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love (third-person singular simple present loves, present participle loving, simple past and past participle loved)

  1. Alternative form of lofe (“to praise, sell”)

References

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Anagrams

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Czech

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [ˈlovɛ]
  • Hyphenation: lo‧ve

Etymology 1

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Borrowed from Romani love.

Noun

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love f pl (indeclinable)

  1. (slang, cant) money
    Synonym: prachy

Etymology 2

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See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

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love m

  1. vocative singular of lov

Further reading

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  • “love”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech)

Danish

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈlɔːvə/, [ˈlɔːʋə], [ˈlɔːʊ]

Etymology 1

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From Middle Low German lōve, from Proto-Germanic *galaubô, cognate with German Glaube.

Noun

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love c

  1. (obsolete) trust, faith
    only in the phrase på tro og love (“solemnly”)

References

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Etymology 2

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From Old Norse lofa, from Proto-Germanic *(ga)lubōną, cognate with Swedish lova (“to promise; to praise”), German loben (“to praise”), geloben (“to vow”), Dutch loven (“to praise”).

Verb

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love (past tense lovede, past participle lovet)

  1. to promise
  2. (solemn) to praise
Conjugation
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Inflection of love
present past
simple lover lovede
perfect har lovet havde lovet
passive loves lovedes
participle lovende lovet
imperative lov —
infinitive love —
auxiliary verb have —
gerund loven —

References

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Etymology 3

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See See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

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love c

  1. indefinite plural of lov

Dutch

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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love

  1. (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of loven

Anagrams

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French

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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love

  1. inflection of lover:
    1. first-person /third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

Anagrams

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Friulian

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Etymology

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From Latin lupa, feminine of lupus. Compare Venetan lova, French louve.

Pronunciation

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This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Noun

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love f (plural lovis)

  1. she-wolf
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Hunsrik

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Etymology

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Inherited from Middle High German loben, from Old High German lobōn, from Proto-West Germanic *lobōn, from Proto-Germanic *lubōną.[1]

Cognate with German loben, Luxembourgish luewen.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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love

  1. (transitive) to praise [with accusative]
    Sie hon en fiel gelobd.
    They praised him a lot.

Conjugation

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Regular
infinitive love
participle gelobd
auxiliary hon
present
indicative 		imperative
ich love —
du lobst lob
er/sie/es lobd —
meer love —
deer lobd lobd
sie love —
The use of the present participle is uncommon, but can be made with the suffix -end.

Derived terms

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verbs

References

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  1. ^ Piter Kehoma Boll (2021) “love”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português (in Portuguese), 3rd edition, Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch, page 105

Inari Sami

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Inari Sami numbers (edit)
100
 ←  1  ←  9 10 11  →  20  → 
1
    Cardinal: love
    Ordinal: lovváád

Etymology

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From Proto-Samic *lokē

Numeral

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love

  1. ten

Inflection

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This numeral needs an inflection-table template.

Further reading

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  • love in Marja-Liisa Olthuis, Taarna Valtonen, Miina Seurujärvi and Trond Trosterud (2015–2022) Nettidigisäänih Anarâškiela-suomakielâ-anarâškielâ sänikirje‎[2], Tromsø: UiT
  • Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎[3], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Middle Dutch

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Noun

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lōve

  1. dative singular of lof

Middle English

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Etymology 1

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Inherited from Old English lufu, from Proto-West Germanic *lubu, from Proto-Germanic *lubō.

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈluv(ə)/, /ˈloːv(ə)/

Noun

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love (plural loves)

  1. Love; strong and deep affection:
    1. Sexual or romantic desire (in humans and other animals)
    2. Theosis, sanctification, or love as a means to attain it.
  2. One who one loves; a loved individual:
    1. A lover; a sexual or romantic partner.
    2. A personification or embodiment of love.
    3. (Christianity) The Holy Spirit (or less often, God generally).
  3. A peace treaty; the ending of hostilities.
  4. (rare) Permission, consent.
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Descendants
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References

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Etymology 2

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Inherited from Old English lāfe, oblique singular of lāf, from Proto-West Germanic *laibu, from Proto-Germanic *laibō; compare leven (“to halt”), which some forms are influenced by.

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈlɔːv(ə)/
  • (Northern) IPA(key): /laːf/, /ˈlaːv(ə)/

Noun

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love (uncountable)

  1. The remainder or rest; that which is left.
    • c. 1375, “Book VI”, in Iohne Barbour, De geſtis bellis et uirtutibus domini Roberti de Brwyß […] (The Brus, Advocates MS. 19.2.2)‎[4], Ouchtirmunſye: Iohannes Ramſay, published 1489, folio 21, recto, lines 431-434; republished at Edinburgh: National Library of Scotland, c. 2010:
      Thyꝛwall þ[at] was þ[air] capitain / Wes þ[air] in þe baꝛgain slain / ⁊ off his men þe maſt p[ar]ty / Ϸe laue fled full affrayitly
      Thirlwall, who was their commander / was killed there in the struggle / with the greatest part of his men; / the rest fled very frightened.
  2. (rare) A widow; a woman whose husband has died.
    Synonyms: relicte, widwe
Descendants
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References

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Etymology 3

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Borrowed from Old Norse lófi, from Proto-Germanic *lōfô; compare glove.

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈloːv(ə)/, /loːf/

Noun

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love (plural loves)

  1. (chiefly Northern) The palm (inner part of the hand)
Descendants
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References

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Etymology 4

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Verb

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love

  1. Alternative form of loven (“to love”)

Etymology 5

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Verb

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love

  1. Alternative form of loven (“to praise”)

Norwegian Bokmål

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Etymology

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From Old Norse lofa.

Verb

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love (imperative lov, present tense lover, simple past and past participle lova or lovet, present participle lovende)

  1. to praise

Verb

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love (imperative lov, present tense lover, simple past lova or lovet or lovte or lovde, past participle lova or lovet or lovt or lovd, present participle lovende)

  1. to promise
    (as an adjective) det lovede land - the Promised Land
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References

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Norwegian Nynorsk

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Verb

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love (present tense lovar or lover, past tense lova or lovde, past participle lova or lovt or lovd, present participle lovande, imperative lov)

  1. Alternative form of lova

Noun

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love m (definite singular loven, indefinite plural lovar, definite plural lovane)

  1. Alternative form of lóve

Anagrams

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Romani

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Noun

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love

  1. plural of lovo
  2. money

Descendants

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Serbo-Croatian

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Noun

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love (Cyrillic spelling лове)

  1. vocative singular of lov

Verb

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love (Cyrillic spelling лове)

  1. third-person plural present of loviti

Swedish

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Noun

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love c

  1. (chiefly in compounds) wrist (connecting the hand to the forearm)

Declension

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Declension of love
nominative genitive
singular indefinite love loves
definite loven lovens
plural indefinite lovar lovars
definite lovarna lovarnas

Derived terms

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References

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