lovesom

Middle English

Alternative forms

• lofesum, lofsom, loovesum, lossom, lossum, lovesome, lovesum, lussum, luvesum
• luffsum, lufsom, lufsome, lufsoum (Northern)
• luffsumm, lufsum (Early Middle English)

Etymology

Inherited from Old English lufsum; equivalent to love (“love”) +‎ -som.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈluv(ə)sum/, /ˈlu(f)sum/, /ˈloː-/

Adjective

lovesom

1. Lovely, attractive, pleasing.

   Synonym: lovely

2. Wonderful, brilliant, marvelous.
   • c. 1300, Anonymous, "Alison" (as printed in Oxford Book of English Verse, 1900):

     With lossum chere he on me loh

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

3. Friendly, affectionate (providing love)

   Synonyms: lovable, lovely

4. (rare) Lovable (deserving love)

   Synonym: lovable

Derived terms

• lovesumnes

Descendants

• English: lovesome (dialectal loosome, lossom)
• Scots: lusome, loesome, loosome

References

• “lǒfsǒm, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.