German word leben comes from Proto-Indo-European *lī-, Proto-Indo-European *leip-, and later Proto-Germanic *libjaną (To live, to be alive.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *lī- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *leip- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *leyp- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *libjaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To live, to be alive. |
| lebēn | Old High German (goh) | |
| leben | German (de) | (intransitive) to dwell, to reside. (intransitive) to live, to be alive. (intransitive) to live, to exist, to occupy a place. (intransitive, hyperbole) To cope with, to live with, to deal with. |