lover (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict[lover 词源字典]
early 13c., agent noun from love (v.). Old English had lufend for male lovers, lufestre for women. Meaning "one who has a predilection for" (a thing, concept, pursuit, etc.) is mid-14c. As a form of address to a lover, from 1911. Related: Loverly.[lover etymology, lover origin, 英语词源]