alderliefest

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English alderlevest (“dearest of all”), from alder- (“of all, very”, prefix forming the superlative of adjectives or adverbs) (the genitive plural of al (“all, entirely, utterly, very”)) + lefest, levest (“dearest, most beloved”) (from lef, leve (“beloved or dear to someone”) (from Old English lēof (“beloved, dear”, adjective), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to admire, praise; to covet, desire; to love”)) + -est (suffix forming the superlative of adjectives and adverbs)). The English word is analysable as alder- ((archaic) prefix meaning ‘having the greatest degree of something, of all’) +‎ lief (“(archaic) beloved, dear”, adjective) +‎ -est (suffix forming the superlative of adjectives and adverbs). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌɔːldəˈliːfɪst/, /ˈɒldəliːfɪst/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɔldəɹˌlifɪst/, /ˈɑl-/ Hyphenation: al‧der‧lief‧est === Adjective === alderliefest (not comparable) (archaic or obsolete) Often used as an epithet when addressing someone: most beloved. ==== Usage notes ==== Common in Elizabethan English (during the reign of Elizabeth I, 1558–1603), where it was already an archaism. ==== Alternative forms ==== alder-liefest, alderlievest ==== Hypernyms ==== See Thesaurus:beloved ==== Translations ==== === References === === Anagrams === liedertafels