Lisa

English

Etymology

Diminutive of Elisabeth in several European languages. The computer is named after Lisa Brennan-Jobs, officially explained as an acronym for “Locally Integrated Software Architecture”.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: lēʹsə, lēʹzə, līʹzə, IPA^(key): /ˈliːsə/, /ˈliːzə/, /ˈlaɪzə/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) enPR: lēʹsə, lēʹzə, līʹzə, IPA^(key): /ˈlisə/, /ˈlizə/, /ˈlaɪzə/
• Rhymes: -iːsə, -iːzə, -aɪzə
• Homophones: LISA, Liza, liza

Proper noun

Lisa (plural Lisas)

1. A female given name from Hebrew.

   You were born in the '70s? Were you named after Lisa on As the World Turns?

   • 1868, William Meynell Whittmore, editor, Sunshine, page 138:

     Elizabeth coloured.
     "Oh, I don't want the doll called after me, if that is what you mean," she said, rather disdainfully.
     "Nonsense, Lisa!" laughed her father, "you ought to consider yourself highly honoured to have such a handsome lady as this for your namesake."

   • 1997, Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger, Grove Press, →ISBN:

     Lisa is a better name. Claudia bangs, like the gong in the hall at Sotleigh. Bang - whoom! Lisa makes a nice silky noise, like streams or rain.

   • 2007, Elinor Lipman, My Latest Grievance, →ISBN, page 16:

     Did I want to be burdened with a common name? Be the third Lisa and fourth Susan in my classroom? Darleen or Doreen or Maureen?
     I did.

Usage notes

• Taken to general use as a full English given name in early 20th century. Very popular in the U.S. in the 1960s, and in the U.K. a decade later.

Translations

Noun

Lisa (plural Lisas)

1. (computing, historical) Ellipsis of Apple Lisa.
   • 1984 July 23, Peggy Watt, “Democrats Computerize Politics”, in InfoWorld, volume 6, number 30, page 24:

     Both Macs and Lisas, along with Imagewriter printers, are part of the convention network organized by Sytek of Mountain View, California.

2. (slang) An idealised girlfriend.

Further reading

• Eric Partridge (2005) “Lisa”, in Tom Dalzell and Terry Victor, editors, The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, volumes 2 (J–Z), London, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 1216.

Anagrams

• Alis, Ilsa, Isla, LIAs, Lias, SAIL, SiAl, ails, lais, lias, sail, sial

Cebuano

Etymology

Clipping of Felisa. Also from English Liza, Lisa, diminutives of Elizabeth.

Proper noun

Lisa

1. a female given name from English

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:Lisa.

Danish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Lisa

1. a female given name derived from Elisabeth

Dutch

Etymology

Shortening of Elisabeth.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈli.zaː/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Li‧sa

Proper noun

Lisa f

1. a female given name

Related terms

• Elisabeth
• Lies
• Liesbeth

Faroese

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Lisa

1. a female given name

Usage notes

Matronymics

• son of Lisa: Lisuson
• daughter of Lisa: Lisudóttir

Declension

French

Etymology

Clipping of Élisabeth.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /li.za/

Proper noun

Lisa f

1. a female given name, diminutive of Élisabeth

Anagrams

• ails, lias, sali, sila

German

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈliːza/

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Lisa

1. a female given name from Elisabeth

Italian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈli.za/
• Rhymes: -iza
• Hyphenation: Lì‧sa

Proper noun

Lisa f

1. a female given name, diminutive of Elisabetta

Anagrams

• Sila, alsi, sali, salì

Norman

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Lisa f

1. a diminutive of the female given name Lisabé
2. a female given name

Derived terms

• Lison

Norwegian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Lisa

1. a female given name derived from Elisabeth

Romanian

Etymology

From lisa, definite form of lisă (“uncultivated field”).

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Lisa f

1. A commune of Brașov, Romania
2. A village in Lisa, Brașov, Romania
3. A village in Schitu, Olt, Romania
4. A commune of Teleorman, Romania
5. A village in Lisa, Teleorman, Romania

Swedish

Etymology

Short form of Elisabet. First recorded in Sweden in 1558.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²liːsa/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -²iːsa
• Homophone: leasa

Proper noun

Lisa c (genitive Lisas)

1. a female given name

References

• Roland Otterbjörk: Svenska förnamn, Almqvist & Wiksell 1996, →ISBN
• Statistiska centralbyrån and Sture Allén, Staffan Wåhlin, Förnamnsboken, Norstedts 1995, →ISBN: 31 611 females with the given name Lisa living in Sweden on December 31st, 2010, with frequency peaks in the 1910s and the 1990s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.