Luve

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A Scots word for deep affection, tenderness, or fondness felt toward another person
2. The Scottish form of love, meaning warm attachment or devotion toward someone dear
3. An old Scottish term denoting strong tender feeling, such as the affection between sweethearts or family

Etymology: "Luve" is the Scots and northern English form of "love." Its ancestor is Old English "lufu," which goes back to a Germanic root that also produced German "Liebe" and Dutch "liefde." The southern form changed its vowel over the centuries, while the northern pronunciation stayed closer to the older sound. The difference is most visible in spelling. Robert Burns wrote "My luve is like a red, red rose," and Scots writers kept the form for centuries while southern printers standardised "love." Many Scots still say it that way, so one word survives in two forms descended from the same Old English ancestor.