"LAWA, v. Haw., to work out, even to the edge or boundary of a land, i.e., leave none uncultivated, to fill, suffice, be enough.

Sam., lava, be enough, to complete; adj., indeed, very.

Tah., rava-i, to suffice.

N. Zeal., rava-kore, lit. 'not full', poor.

Fiji., rawa, accomplish, obtain, possess.

Sanskr., labh, lambh, to obtain, get, acquire, enjoy, undergo, peform; lábha, acquisition, gain; rabh, to seize, to take.

Lith., loba, the work of each day, gain, labour; lobis, goods, possessions; pra-lobti, become rich; api-lobe, after work, i.e., evening.

A. Pictet refers the Lat. labor, work, to this same family, as well as the Irish lobhar and the Welsh llafur. He also, with Bopp and Benfey, refers the Goth. arbaiths, labour, work, to the Sanskr. rabh = arb, as well as the Anc. Slav., rabu, a servant. Russ., rabota, labour. Gael., airbhe, gain, profit, product.

This Polynesian lawa is doubtless akin to

 

LAWE, v. Haw., to carry, bear, take from out of; lawe-lawe, to wait upon, to attend on, serve, to handle, to feel of; adj. pertaining to work.

Tah., rave, to receive, to take, seize, lay hold of; s. work, operation; rave-rave, a servant, attendant.

Rarot., Paum., rave, id. Sam., lave, to be of service; lave-a, to be removed, of a disease; lavea'i, to extricate, to deliver.

Fiji., lave, to raise, lift up.

Malg., ma-lafa, to take, seize; rava, pillage, destruction. Sunda., rampok, theft. Mal., rampas, me-rabut, take forcibly. Motu (N. Guinea), law-haia, to take away.

Sanskr., labh, rabh, see previous word, 'Lawa'.

Greek, λαμβανω, έλαβον, take hold of, seize, receive, obtain; λημμα, income, gain; λαβη, λαβις, grip, handle.

Lat., labor, work, activity; perhaps also Laverna, the goddess of gain or profit, the protectress of thieves; rapio, rapax.

Goth., raupjan, to reap, pluck; raubon, to reave, rob. Sax., reafian, take violently.

Pers., raftan, to sweep, clean up; robodan, to rob.

Lith., ruba, pillage; rûbina, thief."

(Fornander)