leja
Latvian
Alternative forms
- (dated, 19th-century form) leija
Etymology
From earlier (19th-century) leija, from Proto-Baltic *ley-ya-, from *ley-ā, from Proto-Indo-European *l̥-ey, from the zero grade of *el-, *Heh₃l- (“to bend, to incline”) (whence also elkonis (“elbow”), q.v.) with a suffix -ey. The meaning probably evolved as follows: “bent inward” > “inwardly bent earth”, “valley” > “lower area.” Cognates include Gothic 𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌰𐍂𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌾𐌰 (undarleija, “lower, smaller”), Ancient Greek λειμών (leimṓn, “humid, grassy place, humid meadow”) (lower places are often humid).[1]
Pronunciation
(file) |
Noun
leja f (4th declension)
- low area, low place, below (place located below, with respect to something else)
- pa leju mājai garām šaujas motociklets ― a motorcycle ran by in the low area along the house
- Lība palika stāvam un ostīja gaisu: kaut kur no lejas uzvēdīja svešāada smarša ― Lība remained standing and sniffed the air: somewhere from below a strange smell was spreading
- (in genitive, used adjectivally) lower side, lower part, bottom (of something)
- lejas stāvs ― the lower (i.e., first) floor
- te bija lejas aula baznīca ar zaļo skārda jumtu ― here was the lower village church with a green tin roof
- tumšajā lejas gaitenī klusēdami izklīst skolēnu pulciņi ― the small groups of studnets silently dispersed in the dark lower corridor
- (in locative, used adverbially) down, below, at the bottom, in a lower area (of some place)
- lejā pagalmā spēlējās bērni ― down in the yard the children were playing
- izgāju pat uz balkona; dzīli lejā zem manis slīdēja automašīnas un trolejbusi ― I went out on the balcony; deep down under me cars and trolleys slid by
- un tad tepat lejā pie Varžupīte tie karkli ― and then right here (they are), down by the Varžupīte (river), these willows
- tieši zem nišas bija divi galdiņi; nišā varēja dzirdēt katru vārdu, ko tie tur lejā runāja ― right under the niche there were two little tables; in the niche it was possible to hear every word which they said down there
- (geography) valley
- upes, strauta leja ― river, creek valley
- dziļa leja ― deep valley
- krūmiem aizaugusi leja ― a valley overgrown with bushes
- lejas nogāze ― valley slope
- starp diviem kalniem vēsā lejā / svēts, vientuļš klosteris glabājās ― in a cool valley between two mountains / a holy, lonely monastery kept itself
- depression in an area or terrain
- miklajā ganību lejā nāca melnakšņu un kārklu krūmi ― in the humid pasture depression there were (lit. came) alder and willow bushes
- (of rivers; usually with uz, no) mouth, estuary
- no lejas brauc tvaikonis ― from the river mouth came a steamboat
- straume laivu nesa uz leju ― the stream took the boat downstream, to(ward) the estuary
- jo tālāk ejam mēs uz leju, jo vairāk straume izšķir mūs ― the further we go downstream, the more the stream separated us
- (with uz) down, downward, toward the earth (also metaphorically)
- skatīties uz leju ― to look down
- ceļš ved uz leju ― the path leads down
- Ģirts gāja pa kāpnēm uz leju ― Ģirts walked down the stairs
- svaru kauss sveras uz leju ― the heavy cup weighs down
- Mācītājam Silingam ar veselību ejot uz leju ― Pastor Siling's health, they say, is going down
Declension
singular (vienskaitlis) | plural (daudzskaitlis) | |
---|---|---|
nominative (nominatīvs) | leja | lejas |
accusative (akuzatīvs) | leju | lejas |
genitive (ģenitīvs) | lejas | leju |
dative (datīvs) | lejai | lejām |
instrumental (instrumentālis) | leju | lejām |
locative (lokatīvs) | lejā | lejās |
vocative (vokatīvs) | leja | lejas |
Synonyms
- (of "below", "down"): lejā
- (of "lower part"): apakša
- (of "valley"): ieleja
- (of "estuary"): lejtece
- (of "downward"): uz leju, lejup, zemup (rare)
Antonyms
- (of "lower part"): augša
- (of "down"): augšā
- (of "downward"): uz augšu, augšup, sauļup (poetic)
Derived terms
- ieleja
- lejā
- lejtece
- lejup
References
- Karulis, Konstantīns (1992), “leja”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN
Livonian
Alternative forms
- (Courland) lejā
Etymology
From Proto-Finnic *liha.
Noun
leja
- flesh
Polish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈlɛ.ja/
- Rhymes: -ɛja
- Syllabification: le‧ja
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Romanian leu, from Latin leō, from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn).
Noun
leja f
- Alternative form of lej.
Declension
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | leja | leje |
genitive | lei | lei |
dative | lei | lejom |
accusative | leję | leje |
instrumental | leją | lejami |
locative | lei | lejach |
vocative | lejo | leje |
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Noun
leja m inan
- genitive singular of lej
Further reading
- leja in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- leja in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Serbo-Croatian
Alternative forms
- lijèha (Ijekavian)
- líha (Ikavian)
- léha (Ekavian)
Etymology
From Proto-Slavic *lě̄xà, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *láišāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *lóyseh₂, from *leys-.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /lěːja/
Noun
léja f (Cyrillic spelling ле́ја)
- plot of land for sowing, a partition of agriculturally or horticulturally used earth, farming bed
- 2015 June 15, “Planiranje vrta [Garden planning]”, in Bio-Vrt:
- Za proizvodnju ranih proljetnih vrsta salate, kao i za snabdjevanje vrta svojim sadnicama, može se napraviti pokrivena topla leja.
- To produce early spring types of salad, as also for provision of the garden with seedlings, one can create a covered warm bed.
-
Declension
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | leja | leje |
genitive | leje | leja |
dative | leji | lejama |
accusative | leju | lejama |
vocative | lejo | leje |
locative | leji | lejama |
instrumental | lejom | lejama |
References
- “ле́ја”, in Речник српскохрватскога књижевног језика (in Serbo-Croatian), volume 3, Друго фототипско издање edition, Нови Сад, Загреб: Матица српска, Матица хрватска, 1969, published 1990, page 182
- “ле́ха”, in Речник српскохрватскога књижевног језика (in Serbo-Croatian), volume 3, Друго фототипско издање edition, Нови Сад, Загреб: Матица српска, Матица хрватска, 1969, published 1990, page 199
Swahili
Etymology
Borrowed from English ledger.
Pronunciation
Audio (Kenya) (file)
Noun
leja (n class, plural leja)
- ledger (a collection of accounting entries consisting of credits and debits)
Swedish
Etymology
From Old Swedish leghia, from Old Norse leiga, from Proto-Germanic *laigijaną (“to lend”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /lɛja/
- Rhymes: -ɛja
Verb
leja (present lejer, preterite lejde, supine lejt, imperative lej)
- to hire (on a temporary basis)
- leja en mördare
- hire a hit man
Usage notes
Often of illegal or questionable tasks.
Conjugation
Active | Passive | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Infinitive | leja | lejas | ||
Supine | lejt | lejts | ||
Imperative | lej | — | ||
Imper. plural1 | lejen | — | ||
Present | Past | Present | Past | |
Indicative | lejer | lejde | lejs, lejes | lejdes |
Ind. plural1 | leja | lejde | lejas | lejdes |
Subjunctive2 | leje | lejde | lejes | lejdes |
Participles | ||||
Present participle | lejande | |||
Past participle | lejd | |||
1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs. |
Derived terms
- leja ut (“contract out”)
Related terms
- lega
See also
- anlita
- torped
References
- leja in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
- leja in Svensk ordbok (SO)
- leja in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
- leja in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)