Dictionary of Meaning
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LOVE
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{{otheruses}}
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Heart (symbol) heart, a frequent modern symbol of love.html" title="Meaning of thumb|right|A [[cartoonish">200px|thumb|right|A [[cartoonish version of the
Heart (symbol) heart, a frequent modern symbol of love">thumb|right|A [[cartoonish">200px|thumb|right|A [[cartoonish version of the
Heart (symbol) heart, a frequent modern symbol of love
'''Love''' has several different meanings in the
English (language) English language, from something that gives a little pleasure ("I loved that meal") to something for which one would die (
patriotism,
pair-bonding). It can describe an intense feeling of
affection, an
emotion or an emotional state. In ordinary use, it usually refers to interpersonal love. Dictionaries tend to define ''love'' as deep affection or fondness.
[''Oxford Illustrated American Dictionary'' (1998) + ''Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary'' (2000).] In colloquial use, according to polled opinion, the most favored definitions of ''love'' include the words:
[[http://www.humanthermodynamics.com/RP2-Love.html '04 Poll of 250 Chicagoans] – Institute of Human Thermodynamics (Chicago)]
#'''
life''' - someone or something for which you would give your life.
#'''
care''' - someone or something about which you care more than yourself.
#'''
friendship''' - favored interpersonal associations or relationships.
#'''
human bonding union''' - a synergistic connection, as in the perfect union of two souls.
#'''
family''' - people related via common ancestry, religion, or race, etc.
The concept of love, however, is subject to debate. Some deny the existence of love, calling it a recently invented abstraction. Moreover, approximately 13 percent of cultures reportedly have no word for love.
[{{cite book | author=Ackerman, Diane | title=A Natural History of Love | publisher=Vintage Books | year=1994 | id=ISBN 0679761837}}] Others maintain that love exists but is undefinable; being a quantity which is
spiritual,
metaphysical, or
philosophical in nature, etc. Perhaps due to its emotional primacy, love is one of the most common themes in art.
{{emotion}}
Overview
Love might best be defined as acting intentionally, in sympathetic response to others to promote overall well-being. Or to put it simply, "love responds intentionally to promote well-being" (
Thomas Jay Oord). Love promotes overall flourishing, but often focuses on those close at hand.
Cultural differences make any universal definition of love difficult to establish. See the
Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Expressions of love may include the love for a
soul or mind, the love of laws and organizations, love for a body, love for nature, love of food, love of money, love for learning, love of power, love of fame, love for the respect of others, et cetera. Different people place varying degrees of importance on the kinds of love they receive. Love is essentially an abstract concept, easier to experience than to explain. Many believe, as stated originally by
Virgil, that "''Love conquers all''". However, love may be mistaken for lust.
Types
*
Courtly love – a late medieval conventionalized code prescribing certain conduct and emotions for ladies and their lovers.
*
Erotic love – an aesthetic focused on sexual desire.
*
Familial love – affection brokered through kinship connections, intertwined with concepts of attachment and bonding.
*
Free love – sexual relations according to choice and unrestricted by marriage.
*
Platonic love – a close relationship in which sexual desire is nonexistent or has been suppressed or sublimated.
*
Puppy love – romantic affection felt between or as though between adolescents.
*
Religious love – devotion to one’s deity or theology.
*
Romantic love – affection characterized by a mix of emotional and sexual desire.
*
Unrequited love – affection and desire not reciprocated or returned.
Scientific views
{{main|love (scientific views)}}
Throughout history, predominately,
philosophy and
religion have speculated the most into the phenomenon of love. In the last century, the science of
psychology has written a great deal on the subject. Recently, however, the sciences of
evolutionary psychology,
evolutionary biology,
anthropology,
neuroscience, and
biology have begun to take center stage in discussion as to the nature and function of love.
Biological models of sex tend to see it as a mammalian drive, just like
hunger or
thirst. Psychology sees love as more of a social and cultural phenomenon. There are probably elements of truth in both views — certainly love is influenced by
hormones (such as
oxytocin) and
pheromones, and how people think and behave in love is influenced by one’s conceptions of love. Hence, from time immemorial, science, from
nature naturalistic poetry to
MRI neurochemistry, has since debated over the nature of love.
Cultural views
{{main|love (cultural views)}}
Although there exist numerous cross-cultural unified similarities as to the nature and definition of love, as in there being a thread of commitment, tenderness, and passion common to all human existence, there are differences. For example, in India, with arranged marriages commonplace, it is believed that love is not a necessary ingredient in the initial stages of marriage – it is something that can be created during the marriage; whereas in the United States, by comparison, love is seen as a necessary prerequisite to marriage.
Religious views
{{main|love (religious views)}}
Whether '''religious love''' can be expressed in similar terms to ''interpersonal love'' is a matter for philosophical debate. Religious 'love' might be considered a euphemistic term, more closely describing feelings of deference or
acquiescence. Most religions use the term love to express the
devotion the follower has to their deity, who may be a living
guru or religious teacher, as in the
Bhakti traditions of Asia. This love can be expressed by
prayer, service, good deeds, and personal
sacrifice. Reciprocally, the followers may believe that the deity loves the followers and all of creation. Some traditions encourage the development of passionate love in the believer for the deity.
See also
Human love
{{col-start}}
{{col-break}}
*
Affectional orientation
*
Crush
*
Emotion
*
Erich Fromm's view of human love
*
Forgiveness
*
Greek words for love
*
Historical pederastic couples
{{col-break}}
*
Human bonding
*
Limerence — the state of being "in love"
*
Love-hate relationships
*
Love letter
*
Love-shyness
*
Love sickness
*
Personal relationship
{{col-end}}
Other types of love (philias)
*
List of philias — list of words with ''philia'' or ''phile'' suffix
References
:* Roger Allen, Hillar Kilpatrick, and Ed de Moor, eds. ''Love and Sexuality in Modern Arabic Literature''. London: Saqi Books, 1995.
:* Shadi Bartsch and Thomas Bartscherer, eds. ''Erotikon: Essays on Eros, Ancient and Modern''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005.
:* Helen Fisher. ''Why We Love: the Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love''
:* Thomas Jay Oord, Science of Love: The Wisdom of Well-Being. Philadelphia: Templeton Foundation Press, 2004.
:*R. J. Sternberg. ''A triangular theory of love''. 1986. Psychological Review, 93, 119–135
:* R. J. Sternberg. ''Liking versus loving: A comparative evaluation of theories''. 1987. Psychological Bulletin, 102, 331–345
:*{{cite book|author=Sternberg, Robert |title=Cupid's Arrow - the Course of Love through Time|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1998|id=ISBN 0521478936}}
:* Dorothy Tennov. ''Love and Limerence: the Experience of Being in Love''. New York: Stein and Day, 1979. ISBN 0812861345
:* Dorothy Tennov. ''A Scientist Looks at Romantic Love and Calls It "Limerence": The Collected Works of Dorothy Tennov''. Greenwich, CT: The Great American Publishing Society (GRAMPS), [http://www.gramps.org/limerence]
:* Wood, Wood and Boyd. ''The World of Psychology''. 5th edition. 2005. Pearson Education, 402–403
External links
{{wikiquote}}
{{wiktionarypar|love}}
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Wiktionary:I love you "I love you" in various languages
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The Science of Love
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Top 150 Definitions of Love
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26 Famous Quotes on Love
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Quotes about Love
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Definition of Love
Category:Love
bs:Ljubav
bg:Любов
ca:Amor
cs:Láska
da:Kærlighed
de:Liebe
et:Armastus
es:Amor
eo:Amo
fr:Amour
gd:Grà dh
gl:Amor
id:Cinta
ia:Amor
it:Amore
he:×?הבה
la:Amor
lt:MeilÄ—
li:Leefde
mi:Te Aroha
nl:Liefde
ja:æ„›
pl:Miłość
pt:Amor (sentimento)
ru:Любовь
sl:Ljubezen
sr:Љубав
fi:Rakkaus
sv:Kärlek
tr:AÅŸk
tl:Pag-ibig
vi:Tình yêu
zh:æ„›
{{catmore}}
Category:Human sexuality
Category:Emotion
Category:Interpersonal relationships
Category:Personal life
Category:Spirituality
fr:Catégorie:Amour
zh:Category:æ„›
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Love
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