ble
Catalan
Etymology
Possibly from a reconstructed *bledino-, a derivation of Proto-Celtic *bledyos (“wolf”). Among the many common names in the languages of Europe for Verbascum thapsus (the common mullein), whose long leaves were historically used to make wicks, are the equivalents of “wolf's tail” or “fox's tail”. (For example, Welsh cynffon llwynog (“fox's tail”), dialectal Catalan cua de guilla (“fox's tail”).)
Pronunciation
- (Balearic) IPA(key): /ˈblə/
- (Central) IPA(key): /ˈblɛ/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /ˈble/
Noun
ble m (plural blens)
- wick
- Synonym: metxa
- llum de ble ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- 1900, Marià Vayreda i Vila, “Rufagades”, in Sanch Nova:
- —Perque no'ns hi ajuda com ara'l sol. Que's creu que'l bevem nosaltres el ví? Nosaltres no soms més que'l blè de la llumanera. Si falta l'oli'l blè's consumeix y'l llum s'apaga.
- (please add an English translation of this quote)
Derived terms
- blenera
Further reading
- “ble” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “ble”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
- “ble” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “ble” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Danish
Etymology
From Old Norse blæja (“sheet, blanket”). Compare Norwegian Bokmål bleie, Icelandic bleia, Swedish blöja.
Noun
ble c (singular definite bleen, plural indefinite bleer)
- diaper, nappy; An absorbent garment worn by a baby, or by someone who is incontinent.
Inflection
| common gender | Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
| nominative | ble | bleen | bleer | bleerne |
| genitive | bles | bleens | bleers | bleernes |
Descendants
- Icelandic: bleia, bleyja
Haitian Creole
Etymology
From French bleu (“blue”).
Adjective
ble
- blue
Lakota
Etymology
Cognate with Dakota bdé
Noun
ble
- lake
Louisiana Creole French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /blø/
Adjective
ble
- Alternative form of blé
Noun
ble
- Alternative form of blé
See also
| blan | gri | nwa, nwar |
| rouj | zoranj; brun, maron | jonn, jònn |
| vè, vèr, vær, væt | vè fonsé | |
| sèrsèl | blé, ble | |
| vyolé, vyolèt | lila | ròz, roz |
Neapolitan
Alternative forms
- blo
Noun
ble ? (plural [please provide])
- blue
Norwegian Bokmål
Verb
ble
- past tense of bli
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology 1
From Old Norse bleðja.
Verb
ble (present tense bler, past tense bledde, past participle bledd, present participle bleande, imperative ble)
- (transitive, intransitive) (while reading) to turn the page, to sift through a book, pamphlet or other
- Synonym: bla
- (transitive) to sort
Related terms
- blad n
Verb
ble (present tense bler, past tense blei, supine blitt)
- (Stavanger) Eye dialect spelling of bli.
Welsh
Alternative forms
- (South Wales, colloquial) le
- (North Wales, colloquial) lle
- (literary) pa le
Etymology
Contraction of ba le from pa le (“which place”), mutated so as to show adverbial usage.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bleː/
- Rhymes: -eː
Adverb
ble
- where
Mutation
Mutation of ble is unusual in that its mutated forms derive from the original pa le, resulting in ble (soft), mhle (soft) and phle (aspirate). Usage of mhle and phle is limited, if at all found in the case of the latter, with users preferring an unmutable ble in all contexts.