lew
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /luː/
Audio (Southern England) (file) - (dated) IPA(key): /ljuː/
Etymology 1
From corruption of French louis, from Louis,[1] presumably Louis IX or Louis XI, who issued gold écus.
Noun
lew (plural lews or lewis or leois)
- (Scotland, obsolete) A French gold coin circulated in 15th-century Scotland.
- 1467, Scottish Acts of James III, Vol. II, p. 88:
- ...þe Ingliss noble, henry, ande Eduarde wt þe ross, þe franche crowne, þe salute þe lewe and þe Ridar sall haif courss in þis realme...
- 1467, Scottish Acts of James III, Vol. II, p. 88:
Alternative forms
- lewe
Etymology 2
From Middle English lew, lewe, from Old English hlēow, hlēowe (“warm, sunny, sheltered”), from Proto-Germanic *hlewaz, *hliwjaz, *hlēwaz (“warm, lukewarm”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱal(w)e-, *ḱlēw- (“warm, hot”). Cognate with Old Norse hlýr (“warm, mild”), ( > Danish ly (“lukewarm”)), hlær, German lau, which are themselves akin to Old Norse hlé (“lee”), Danish læ (“shelter”). Compare lee.[2]
Alternative forms
- lue, loo, looe, lee, loo
Adjective
lew (comparative lewer, superlative lewest)
- (obsolete) Sunny; warm.
- (dialect) Lukewarm, tepid.
- (dialect) Alee: protected from the wind.
- 1674, J. Ray, "South & East Countrey Words" in Coll. Eng. Words, p. 70:
- Lee or Lew, Calm, under the wind. Suss.
- 1892, H. C. O'Neill, Devonshire Idyls, p. 7:
- His house... was ‘loo’ from the cold north winds.
- 1674, J. Ray, "South & East Countrey Words" in Coll. Eng. Words, p. 70:
Usage notes
Now chiefly Southern Scottish and Northern English.
Noun
lew (plural lews)
- (now Scotland) Warmth, heat.
- 1605, J. Sylvester translating G. de S. Du Bartas as Deuine Weekes & Wks, Book i, Ch. iv, p. 136:
- To th' end a fruitfull lew
May euerie Climate in his time renew.
- To th' end a fruitfull lew
- 1605, J. Sylvester translating G. de S. Du Bartas as Deuine Weekes & Wks, Book i, Ch. iv, p. 136:
- (dialect) A shelter from the wind, particularly temporary structures raised by shepherds to protect their flocks.
- 1825, J. Jennings, Observ. Dial. W. Eng., p. 52:
- Lew, shelter; defence from storms or wind.
- 1887, W. D. Parish & al., Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect:
- Lew, a thatched hurdle, supported by sticks, and set up in a field to screen lambs, etc. from the wind.
- 1825, J. Jennings, Observ. Dial. W. Eng., p. 52:
Derived terms
- house-lew
Verb
lew (third-person singular simple present lews, present participle lewing, simple past and past participle lewed)
- (transitive) To make warm or lukewarm.
- (intransitive, obsolete) To become warm.
- (transitive) To shelter from the wind.
- 1887, W. D. Parish & al., Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect:
- Lew... Those trees will lew the house when they're up-grown.
- 1887, W. D. Parish & al., Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect:
Etymology 3
Uncertain, but compare Old English ġelewed (“weakness, infirmity”) and limlǣweo (“limb-weak, lame”).[3] Possibly related to Proto-Germanic *laiwą (“damage”); compare Old Norse læ (“venom, bane”).
Adjective
lew (comparative more lew, superlative most lew)
- Weak.
- Sickly-looking, pale, wan.
- c. 1325,, "Old Age" in T. Wright & al.'s 1845 Reliquiae Antiquae, Vol. II, p. 211:
- Mi bodi wexit lewe.
- c. 1325,, "Old Age" in T. Wright & al.'s 1845 Reliquiae Antiquae, Vol. II, p. 211:
Etymology 4
Variant of lo (q.v.).[4]
Interjection
lew
- (obsolete) Alternative form of lo or look: a cry to look at something.
- a. 1500, Towneley Plays, Book I, Scene iii, l. 46:
- Hence bot a litill She commys, lew, lew!
- a. 1500, Towneley Plays, Book I, Scene iii, l. 46:
Derived terms
- looky-loo
Etymology 5
Variant of lue (q.v.).[5]
Verb
lew (third-person singular simple present lews, present participle lewing, simple past and past participle lewed)
- (mining, dialect, transitive) Alternative form of lue: to sift, particularly while mining tin or silver.
- 1674, John Ray, A Collection of English Words, Not Generally Used, p. 122:
- Cornwall... The fine [sc. tin] is lewed in a fine sierce.
- 1674, John Ray, A Collection of English Words, Not Generally Used, p. 122:
References
- "† lew, n.¹" in the Oxford English Dictionary (1902), Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- "lew, adj.¹ and n.²" and "lew, v." in the Oxford English Dictionary (1902), Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- "lew, adj.²" in the Oxford English Dictionary (1902), Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- "lew, int." in the Oxford English Dictionary (1902), Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- "lue | lew, v." in the Oxford English Dictionary (1903), Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- lew in An American Dictionary of the English Language, by Noah Webster, 1828.
- lew in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
Anagrams
- we'l
Cornish
Etymology
From Proto-Brythonic *llew, from Latin leō.
Pronunciation
- (Revived Middle Cornish) IPA(key): [lɛˑʊ]
- (Revived Late Cornish) IPA(key): [leˑʊ]
Noun
lew m (plural lewyon)
- lion
Gothic
Romanization
lēw
- Romanization of 𐌻𐌴𐍅
Kashubian
Etymology
From Proto-Slavic *lьvъ. Cognates include Polish lew and Czech lev.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈlɛf/
- Hyphenation: lew
Noun
lew m anim (feminine lwica or lewka or lewina, diminutive lewk)
- lion (Panthera leo)
References
- Eùgeniusz Gòłąbk (2011), “lew”, in Słownik Polsko-Kaszubski / Słowôrz Pòlskò-Kaszëbsczi
Polish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /lɛf/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɛf
- Syllabification: lew
Etymology 1
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *lьvъ, probably via a Germanic language, from Latin leō.
Noun
lew m anim (diminutive lewek, augmentative lwisko, feminine lwica)
- lion
- (heraldry) lion
Declension
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | lew | lwy |
genitive | lwa | lwów |
dative | lwu | lwom |
accusative | lwa | lwy |
instrumental | lwem | lwami |
locative | lwie | lwach |
vocative | lwie | lwy |
Derived terms
- lwi
- lwiarnia
- lwię
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Bulgarian лев (lev), from Proto-Slavic *lьvъ.
Noun
lew m anim
- lev (currency of Bulgaria)
Declension
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | lew | lewy |
genitive | lewa | lewów |
dative | lewowi | lewom |
accusative | lewa | lewy |
instrumental | lewem | lewami |
locative | lewie | lewach |
vocative | lewie | lewy |
Etymology 3
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Noun
lew f
- genitive plural of lewa
Further reading
- lew in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- lew in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Sranan Tongo
Etymology
Borrowed from Dutch leeuw.
Noun
lew
- lion
Welsh
Noun
lew
- Soft mutation of llew.
Mutation
Welsh mutation | |||
---|---|---|---|
radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
llew | lew | unchanged | unchanged |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
Zazaki
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *leb-, cognate with Persian لب (lab), English lip etc.
Noun
lew ?
- (anatomy) lip