An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/bleiben

by Friedrich Kluge

bleiben, vb., ‘to remain, continue,’ from the equiv. MidHG. blîben, OHG. bilîban; comp. the corresponding AS. belîfan, Goth. bileiban, ‘to remain’ (the factitive of which is bilaibjan, ‘to cause to remain, leave over’; AS. lœ̂fan, E. to leave). It is allied neither to Lat. linquo nor to Gr. λείπω, to which leihen is more akin; bilîbo, ‘I remain,’ must be based on pre-Teut. lîpô (Sans. root lip, ‘to adhere’); Gr. λιπαρὸς, ‘greasy, shining,’ λίπος, n., ‘fat,’ λιπαρέω, ‘I persist,’ comes nearest to the meaning of the Teut. vb.; comp. OSlov. lipnąli, Lith. lipti, ‘to adhere, remain.’ With the former meaning, ‘to adhere,’ ModHG. Leber is connected, and with the latter, ‘to persist, abide,’ the ModHG. Leib and Leben. See the separate words.