lek

See also: Lek, lék, lęk, łęk, -lek, and -lék

English

WOTD – 6 April 2012

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɛk/
IPA: /lɛk/
Rhymes: -ɛk

Alternative forms

laike (Yorkshire)

Etymology 1

From Germanic roots meaning "play". In the biology sense, it comes specifically from Swedish lek (“child's play”), by means of Swedish leka (“to play”). The verb is first attested in English in 1871 and the noun at least as early as 1867.

Noun

lek (plural leks)

(biology) An aggregation of male animals for the purposes of courtship and display.
- 1975, Edward O. Wilson, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, figure caption, 2000, page 333,
  Each of the three displaying cocks occupies a small territory at the mating center of the lek.
- 1997, John Kricher, A Neotropical Companion, →ISBN, page 278:
  Given that a combination of factors have "released" males from attending nests, why have some species organized their courtship bouts in leks, especially the tightly clumped leks that are typical of manakins and cocks-of-the-rock?
- 2007, Kentwood D. Wells, The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians, page 352,
  Nevertheless, it does appear that many of the processes of mate choice and sexual selection described for bird and mammal leks also apply to anuran choruses.

Translations

an aggregation of male animals for the purposes of courtship and display

Finnish: soidin (fi)
German: Lek (de) m, Balzarena f
Norwegian: spill (no) n (capercaillie, woodcock)
Bokmål: lek (no) m (capercaillie, woodcock)
Russian: ток (ru) m (tok)
Swedish: lek (sv) c

Verb

lek (third-person singular simple present leks, present participle lekking, simple past and past participle lekked)

(biology) To take part in the courtship and display behaviour of a lek.
- 1994, M. B. Andersson, Sexual Selection, page 164,
  Males in many lekking species have conspicuous morphological ornaments that may be targets of female choice, but male contest competition may also be involved.
- 2000, George Barlow, The Cichlid Fishes: Nature's Grand Experiment In Evolution, page 79,
  The second reason lekking is so fascinating is because the males aggregate.
- 2010, Boaz Yuval, Jorge Hendrichs 17: Behavior of Fruit Fly in the Genus Ceratitis (Dacinae: Ceratitidini), Martin Aluja, Allen Norrbom (editors), Fruit Flies (Tephritidae): Phylogeny and Evolution of Behavior, page 437,
  In a recent study (Yuval et al. 1998), the size and weight of males captured either lekking or resting at the same time in the vicinity of leks were measured.
- 2010, Robert Michael Pyle, Mariposa Road: The First Butterfly Big Year, unnumbered page,
  Half a dozen of the thumbnail-size males lekked in a sunny glade.
(UK, dialect, Yorkshire, colloquial) To play.
T’lads are lekkin in t’park.

Translations

to take part in the courtship and display behaviour of a lek

Finnish: soidintaa, olla soitimella
Polish: tokować (pl)
Russian: токова́ть (ru) (tokovátʹ)
Swedish: leka (sv), spela (sv) (birds only)

Usage notes

The Yorkshire dialect word is rarely written and is pronounced differently in the different Ridings of Yorkshire. Compare laik, layk.

Etymology 2

From Albanian lek, named after Alexander the Great, whose name is often shortened to Leka in Albanian.

Noun

lek (plural leks or lek or leku or lekë)

The currency unit of Albania, divided into 100 qindarka.
- 1992, Mario I. Bléjer, Albania: From Isolation Toward Reform, page 56,
  With the loss of control by the Government over foreign exchange surrender requirements and the almost complete depletion of foreign exchange reserves, in early 1992 the official rate was further devalued to leks 50 = $1.
- 1997, Igor Artimiev, Gary J. Fine, Country Studies: Albania, Ira W. Lieberman, Stilpon S. Nestor, Raj M. Desai, Between State and Market: Mass Privatization in Transition Economies, page 178,
  Enterprise shares are sold at voucher auctions in exchange for either immaterial privatization leks (through a bank transfer from the bidder's privatization lek account) or through privatization vouchers, which are submitted at the time of bidding.
- 2003, Iraj Hoshi, Ewa Balcerowicz, Leszek Balcerowicz, Barriers to Entry and Growth of New Firms in Early Transition, page 253,
  Value Added Tax is another tax imposed on all enterprises with a yearly turnover of more than 2 million Leks. VAT was introduced in the Albanian tax system in 1995 replacing the old turnover tax.

Translations

currency of Albania

Albanian: leku, lek (sq)
Armenian: լեկ (hy) (lek)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 列克 (lit⁶ hak¹)
Mandarin: 列克 (lièkè)
Finnish: lek (fi)
German: Lek (de) m
Greek: λεκ (el) n (lek)
Hungarian: lek (hu)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: lek (no) m
Polish: lek (pl) m
Russian: лек (ru) m (lek)
Serbo-Croatian: lek (sh) m
Swedish: lek (sv) c

Anagrams

Elk, Kel, elk

Albanian

Etymology

Named after Alexander the Great, whose name is often shortened to Leka in Albanian.

Noun

lek m (indefinite plural lekë, definite singular leku)

lek (the currency unit of Albania)

Czech

Etymology

Deverbal from lekat.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈlɛk]

Noun

lek m inan

Synonym of leknutí.

Declension

Declension of lek

	singular	plural
nominative	lek	leky
genitive	leku	leků
dative	leku	lekům
accusative	lek	leky
vocative	leku	leky
locative	leku	lecích
instrumental	lekem	leky

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch leken, from Old Dutch *lekan, from Proto-Germanic *lekaną (“to leak”).[1] Or, from or related to laken (“to lack, blame”).[2]

Pronunciation

Audio (file)
Rhymes: -ɛk

Noun

lek n (plural lekken, diminutive lekje n)

leak

Adjective

lek (comparative lekker, superlative lekst)

leaky

Inflection

Inflection of lek
uninflected	lek
inflected	lekke
comparative	lekker
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		lek	lekker	het lekst het lekste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	lekke	lekkere	lekste
	n. sing.	lek	lekker	lekste
	plural	lekke	lekkere	lekste
definite		lekke	lekkere	lekste
partitive		leks	lekkers	—

Verb

lek

first-person singular present indicative of lekken
imperative of lekken

References

Kroonen, Guus (2013) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN
Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.

Anagrams

elk

French

Noun

lek m (plural leks)

lek (currency)

Hungarian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈlɛk]
Hyphenation: lek
Rhymes: -ɛk

Noun

lek (plural lekek)

lek (the currency unit of Albania)

Declension

Inflection (stem in -e-, front unrounded harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	lek	lekek
accusative	leket	lekeket
dative	leknek	lekeknek
instrumental	lekkel	lekekkel
causal-final	lekért	lekekért
translative	lekké	lekekké
terminative	lekig	lekekig
essive-formal	lekként	lekekként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	lekben	lekekben
superessive	leken	lekeken
adessive	leknél	lekeknél
illative	lekbe	lekekbe
sublative	lekre	lekekre
allative	lekhez	lekekhez
elative	lekből	lekekből
delative	lekről	lekekről
ablative	lektől	lekektől
non-attributive possessive - singular	leké	lekeké
non-attributive possessive - plural	lekéi	lekekéi

Possessive forms of lek
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	lekem	lekjeim
2nd person sing.	leked	lekjeid
3rd person sing.	lekje	lekjei
1st person plural	lekünk	lekjeink
2nd person plural	leketek	lekjeitek
3rd person plural	lekjük	lekjeik

Anagrams

kel

Isthmus Mixe

Noun

lek

toad

References

Dieterman, Julia; McCarty, James Michael, Jr.; Castañón López, Victoriano; Castañón Eugenio, María Dolores (2018) Breve diccionario del mixe del Istmo: Mogoñé Viejo, Oaxaca (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 52)‎ (in Spanish), Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 37

Middle English

Alternative forms

leek, leeke, leke, leyke

Etymology

Inherited from Old English lēac, lēc, from Proto-West Germanic *lauk, from Proto-Germanic *laukaz.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /leːk/, /lɛːk/

Noun

lek (plural lekes)

A plant in the genus Allium (often used as vegetables):
1. Garlic (Allium sativum)
2. Leek (Allium ampeloprasum)
(in expressions) Something of little value.

Related terms

garlek
houslek

Descendants

English: leek
- → Maori: riki
Scots: leke, leik

References

“lẹ̄k, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-26.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse leikr.

Alternative forms

leik (Nynorsk also)

Noun

lek m (definite singular leken, indefinite plural leker, definite plural lekene)

play, playing
a game, contest
de olympiske leker ― the Olympic Games

Derived terms

drikkelek
Samveldelekene

Related terms

leke

Etymology 2

From Albanian lek.

Noun

lek m (indeclinable)

the lek, currency of Albania.

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

lek

imperative of leke

References

“lek” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Anagrams

kle

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Old Norse leikr, through Middle Low German from Ancient Greek λαϊκός (laïkós, “popular”).

Adjective

lek (neuter lekt, definite singular and plural leke, comparative lekare, indefinite superlative lekast, definite superlative lekaste)

lay

Etymology 2

From Old Norse lekr.

Alternative forms

(adjective and noun) lekk

Adjective

lek (neuter lekt, definite singular and plural leke, comparative lekare, indefinite superlative lekast, definite superlative lekaste)

leaky

Noun

lek m (definite singular leken, indefinite plural lekar, definite plural lekane)

a leak

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

lek

present tense of leka
imperative of leka

References

“lek” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Anagrams

elk, kle

Old Norse

Adjective

lek

inflection of lekr:
1. positive degree strong feminine nominative singular
2. positive degree strong neuter nominative/accusative plural

Verb

lek

inflection of leka:
1. first-person singular present indicative
2. second-person singular imperative

Polish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɛk/
Audio (file)
Rhymes: -ɛk
Syllabification: lek
Homophones: Lek, leg

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *lěkъ.

Noun

lek m inan

(medicine) medicine (substance which promotes healing)
Synonyms: lekarstwo, medykament

Declension

Declension of lek

	singular	plural
nominative	lek	leki
genitive	leku	leków
dative	lekowi	lekom
accusative	lek	leki
instrumental	lekiem	lekami
locative	leku	lekach
vocative	leku	leki

Derived terms

adjective

lekowy

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Albanian lek.

Noun

lek m anim

lek (currency of Albania)

Declension

Declension of lek

	singular	plural
nominative	lek	leki
genitive	leka	leków
dative	lekowi	lekom
accusative	leka	leki
instrumental	lekiem	lekami
locative	leku	lekach
vocative	leku	leki

Samoan Plantation Pidgin

Etymology

From English leg.

Noun

lek

leg, foot (of a human)
limb (of an animal)

References

Mosel, Ulrike (1980) Tolai and Tok Pisin: the influence of the substratum on the development of New Guinea Pidgin (Pacific Linguistics; Series B, no. 73)‎, Canberra: Australian National University, →ISBN

Serbo-Croatian

Alternative forms

lijȇk (Ijekavian)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Slavic *lěkъ, borrowed from Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃 (lēkeis, “physician”)[1]. Compare Old Norse læknir, Old High German lahhi, Danish læge.

Noun

lȇk m (Cyrillic spelling ле̑к)

medicine

Declension

Declension of lek

	singular	plural
nominative	lek	lekovi
genitive	leka	lekova
dative	leku	lekovima
accusative	lek	lekove
vocative	leče	lekovi
locative	leku	lekovima
instrumental	lekom	lekovima

Related terms

liječnik/lečnik
ljèkārna

References

Petar Skok, Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika, Z., 1971, v. 2, p. 296: Obično se uzimlje da je praslavenska riječ posuđena iz gotske radne imenice lekeis

Etymology 2

From Proto-Slavic *lěkъ, from Proto-Indo-European *loykʷós.

Noun

ле̑к m (Cyrillic spelling ле̑к)

little quantity
Nema mesta ni za lek(a). ― There is absolutely no place.

Declension

Declension of lek

	singular	plural
nominative	lek	lekovi
genitive	leka	lekova
dative	leku	lekovima
accusative	lek	lekove
vocative	leče	lekovi
locative	leku	lekovima
instrumental	lekom	lekovima

Slovene

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /léːk/

Noun

lẹ̑k m inan

medicine

Inflection

Masculine inan., hard o-stem
nominative	lék
genitive	léka
	singular
nominative (imenovȃlnik)	lék
genitive (rodȋlnik)	—
dative (dajȃlnik)	—
accusative (tožȋlnik)	—
locative (mẹ̑stnik)	léku
instrumental (orọ̑dnik)	lékom

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse leikr.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [l̪ie̯kʰ]
audio (file)

Noun

lek c

(uncountable) (child's) play; typically denotes pleasurable and less rule-bound games and activities – "play" more in the sense of "engage in play" than "play a game"
De iakttog barnens lek
They watched the children's play(ing)
(countable) a particular game or activity (associated with child's play)
Ska vi leka en lek? Vi kan låtsas vara björnar.
Want to play a game? (Or, "Want to engage in a type of play?") We can pretend to be bears.
a game, playing (more generally, sometimes with relaxed or nonchalant connotations)
en lek med döden
playing with death ("a play(ing) with death")
vindens lek med löven
the wind playing with the leaves ("the wind's play(ing) with the leaves")
a deck of cards
Synonym: kortlek
(biology) lek

Usage notes

Not restricted to children by definition, but childish-sounding. See also leka.

Declension

Declension of lek
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	lek	leken	lekar	lekarna
Genitive	leks	lekens	lekars	lekarnas

Related terms

barnlek
den som ger sig in i leken får leken tåla
fartlek
kattens lek med råttan
katt-och-råtta-lek
kortlek
kärlek
lekfull
leksak

Verb

lek

imperative of leka. free play

References

lek in Svensk ordbok (SO)
lek in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
lek in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English leg.

Noun

lek

leg, foot
- 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 3:15:
  Na bai mi mekim yu i stap birua bilong meri, na meri i stap birua bilong yu. Na bai mi mekim ol lain bilong yu i birua long lain bilong meri. Bai ol i krungutim het bilong yu, na bai yu kaikaim lek bilong ol.”
  →New International Version translation
footprint
hindleg (of an animal)

References

Mosel, Ulrike (1980) Tolai and Tok Pisin: the influence of the substratum on the development of New Guinea Pidgin (Pacific Linguistics; Series B, no. 73)‎, Canberra: Australian National University, →ISBN

Tzotzil

Pronunciation

(Zinacantán) IPA^(key): /lɛkʰ/

Adjective

lek

good
Antonym: chopol

Derived terms

(Verbal phrases)

leklek ba

References

Laughlin, Robert M. (1975) The Great Tzotzil Dictionary of San Lorenzo Zinacantán. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.

Zhuang

Alternative forms

lik

Etymology

From Proto-Tai *ʰlekᴰ (“iron”), from Old Chinese 鐵 (OC *l̥ʰiːɡ, “iron”). Cognate with Thai เหล็ก (lèk), Lao ເຫຼັກ (lek), Shan လဵၵ်း (láek), Lü ᦵᦜᧅ (l̇ek), Tai Nüa ᥘᥥᥐᥱ (lěk), Ahom 𑜎𑜢𑜀𑜫 (lik), Nong Zhuang liak. Doublet of diet.

Pronunciation

(Standard Zhuang) IPA^(key): /leːk˧˥/

Tone numbers: lek⁷

Hyphenation: lek

Noun

lek (1957–1982 spelling lek)

(dialectal) iron (metal)
Synonym: diet

[1] Kroonen, Guus (2013) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN

[2] Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.

[3] Petar Skok, Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika, Z., 1971, v. 2, p. 296: Obično se uzimlje da je praslavenska riječ posuđena iz gotske radne imenice lekeis

lek

English

Pronunciation

Alternative forms

Etymology 1

Noun

Translations

Verb

Translations

Usage notes

Etymology 2

Noun

Translations

Anagrams

Albanian

Etymology

Noun

Czech

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Further reading

Dutch

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Adjective

Inflection

Verb

References

Anagrams

French

Noun

Hungarian

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Anagrams

Isthmus Mixe

Noun

References

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Related terms

Descendants

References

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

Alternative forms

Noun

Derived terms

Related terms

Etymology 2

Noun

Etymology 3

Verb

References

Anagrams

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

Adjective

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

Adjective

Noun

Etymology 3

Verb

References

Anagrams

Old Norse

Adjective

Verb

Polish

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun